Re: GPL-licensed packages with depend-chain to OpenSSL
On Fri, Sep 10, 2004 at 07:31:13PM -0400, Raul Miller wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 10, 2004 at 06:53:49PM -0400, Glenn Maynard wrote:
> > Microsoft creates a system library, MSVCRT (Microsoft Visual C runtime),
> > which is used by almost all binaries which run on Windows. It's GPL-
> > incompatible.[1]
>
> This case is largely irrelevant unless we'll distribute a version of
> emacs with MSVCRT in its depend tree.
If you build in Windows, you link against MSVCRT; it's libc. This is
very relevant to what users do with the software.
> > (On careful re-reading of the exception, I'm not completely sure whether
> > the exception allows this or not: it exempts me from needing to provide source
> > for those libraries, but I'm not sure if it exempts it from compatibility.
> > I'll probably ask the FSF, since this is a critical question.)
>
> It's the source code which needs to be licensed under the terms of the
> GPL -- since that exception sometimes excludes some system stuff from
> the source code, the excluded stuff doesn't need to be licensed under
> the terms of the GPL.
The binary must also, according to "... in object code or executable
form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above", though. 2b requires
that it be licensed under the terms of the GPL.
> > Regardless of that, if linking counts as "accompanies", this exception
> > would be a complete no-op, and you'd have to distribute the glibc source
> > along with every GPL application that links against glibc.
>
> A word used with conditions attached has a more specific meaning than
> the same word used without those conditions attached.
You said:
> In the U.S., at least, "linking it against OpenSSL" probably counts as
> "accompanying it", even if the binaries for the OpenSSL library do not
> appear on the same distribution media as the binaries for Emacs.
My reply is unchanged:
If linking counts as "accompanies", this exception would be a complete
no-op, and you'd have to distribute the glibc source along with every
GPL application that links against glibc.
Here's a tip: stop with the attempts at clever-sounding retorts, and
instead make an effort to reply clearly. If you had said what condition
you were referring to, and how that condition is related to my reply,
then this discussion would be further along than it is now.
--
Glenn Maynard
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