On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 01:34:08PM -0700, Russ Allbery wrote: > In a discussion of mksh-static (see http://bugs.debian.org/709382), the > question of GPL compliance for the source code of the components of libgcc > and libc that are incorporated into binaries came up. mksh-static of > course links statically and therefore pulls in substantial portions of > library source, but there are parts of libgcc and possibly libc that are > always incorporated into binaries, even ones that are dynamically linked. > I had previously assumed that this did not impose any restrictions on > source code availability for the libgcc and libc source because they both > have run-time exceptions that basically allow one to incorporate that code > into binaries under any other license without following the terms of the > GPL or LGPL. However, Thorsten has raised the interesting point that the > license of the source code for the binary may be GPL with no exceptions, > and therefore under the GPL the resulting compiled executable is covered > by the GPL and we have to provide its complete source code. That would > seem to include the source for the incorporated static libgcc and libc > components, since Debian cannot make use of the operating system component > exception in the GPL. FWIW, my understanding is that this is one of the issues that GPLv3 attempted to bugfix with its clarification of the "System Libraries" exception. So to the extent that this is an issue, I believe it only applies to works that are GPLv2 only. -- Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world. Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/ slangasek@ubuntu.com vorlon@debian.org
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