Re: Eclipse 3.0 Running ILLEGALY on Kaffe
Dalibor Topic <robilad@kaffe.org> writes:
> Brian Thomas Sniffen wrote:
>>> GNU classpath is GPL+linking exception which allows it to link with
>>> code that is licensed with GPL non-compatible licenses.
>> Thanks. That sounds like an important piece of evidence. So
>> certainly the GNU Classpath authors think that their code is copied
>> into programs built using it, and the GPL restricts that copying.
>
> The exception is there because GNU Classpath is a set of class
> libraries that is also used by ahead-of-time compilers for Java, like
> gcj.
>
> Ahead-of-time compilers allow you to create static binaries from Java
> applications, normal executables, that contain *verbatim copies of
> copyrightable parts* of the class library. That's jolly useful on
> embedded systems, in particular on embedded systems.
The Debian OS also contains verbatim copies of copyrightable parts of
the class library.
> Since the FSF doesn't think that every program compiled with an
> ahead-of-time compiler and GNU Classpath needs to have the GPL slapped
> on it, they added an exception to GNU Classpath, just like for bison,
> autoconf, and so on.
>
>> I would assume that the same applies to Kaffe.
>
> Kaffe is an interpreter. It generates no output from the data it is
> fed, afaict. It could only impose the GPL on parts of its
>
> ... wait ... wait ... wait ... it's coming ... Brian ... its coming
> ... guess what it is ....
>
> its *output*. Output. What a mighty concept. Two words. Out-put. Not
> the twitches of ganglia that go bonkers whan you've had too much
> crack, like you appear to, no, Brian. Output. Because you're of the
> sort that needs it graphically: Shit, Brian. Real Shit. Not your
> intestines working on the 100USD bills. Shit.
That's a beautiful paragraph, and I do appreciate your sending it to
me. But it doesn't affect the accuracy of either of our arguments.
Debian contains a copy of Kaffe. This requires permission from
Kaffe's copyright holders. They have issued a grant of permission:
the GPL. It says that we may distribute copies of Kaffe under certain
conditions. One of those conditions is this:
You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in
whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
parties under the terms of this License.
If both Eclipse and Kaffe go into main, then someday Debian will ship
a CD with both of these on it, entwined together. At that point, it
will be in violation of this clause, and have no grant of permission
to distribute Kaffe.
-Brian
--
Brian Sniffen bts@alum.mit.edu
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