Is fst distributable in binary form?
Hi all,
I've recently asked about the possible inclusion in Debian of FST [0],
a program to use VST [1] plug-ins with Linux via wine and which build
depends on some non-free headers (the VST SDK). See this thread:
http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2006/03/msg00010.html
As far as I understood from the above thread, distributing FST in
binary form would be possible, and Debian could accept it contrib,
exactly like other GPL packages in contrib itself which build-depend,
for example, on the Sun JDK.
However it has been pointed out in this thread:
http://lists.agnula.org/pipermail/users/2006-March/010356.html
that (if I understand correctly) the source code of FST is written in
a way that it actually incorporates in its binary some portions of the
above mentioned VST SDK non-free headers.
Furthermore it is not clear to me whether this build-dependency
towards non-free headers actually breaks the GPL, which (if I am
correct) states that it should be possible to build the application
from source using only components which are "normally distributed with
the operating system" (I'm not really sure if this interpretation is
correct).
Thanks,
Free
[0] http://joebutton.co.uk/fst/
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Studio_Technology#VST_plug-ins
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