ReRegarding iraf
DISregard for a moment that IRAF seems to include code from a nonfree
yacc.
IRAF has a kind of custom government license which was previously
decided [0] to be free. IRAF wants to link with NCAR which is (now)
available under the GPL. Is that allowed, even though IRAF is not
GPL? IRAF is not a "derivitive" of NCAR, although the resulting
executable binaries would be, I guess. GPL seems to say so:
These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If
identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program,
and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in
themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those
sections when you distribute them as separate works.
[...]
If that is the case, then it seems that I should consider creating a
complementary NCAR package ("when you distribute them as separate
works"), on which IRAF would have build and runtime dependencies (I
don't know if the upstream NCAR build intends for the libraries to be
shared .so files, or if they even intend for the libraries to be
installed on a runtime-only system, but no matter).
Justin
References
[0] http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/05/msg00338.html
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