From: vance AT deneb DOT com (Stephen Vance) Subject: Re: Licensing Terms 7 Nov 1998 12:33:41 -0800 Message-ID: <364353BD.72F1F658.cygnus.gnu-win32@deneb.com> References: <363DE24C DOT EDC9B967 DOT cygnus DOT gnu-win32 AT solidum DOT com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit To: zigweidr Cc: gnu-win32 AT cygnus DOT com zigweidr wrote: > DJ Delorie wrote: > > > > Cygwin's licensing terms are spelled out here: > > > > http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/licensing.html > > > > Basically, not only can you *not* distribute cygwin's > > dll without sources, but if you use cygwin's dll, > > you can *not* distribute *your* program without sources > > either. > > > This may be just a technicality, but I think that this is important > enough that we don't want to mislead the readers here. I don't think > that the sources have to be included with the binaries that are compiled > according to the GPL. They do, however, have to be made available. > With regards to the cygwin DLL, pointing it to the address where it was > gotten would be sufficient yes? That is making the user of the software > aware that those sources are in fact available, and thus fullfilling the > GPL. > > However, if Cygnus has made this mandetory in addition to the GPL, this > is a different issue altogether, but I don't get that from reading the > licensing link you posted. My understanding is that you are allowed to point to the sources. You merely need to make them available. However, you must also include pointers to *your own* sources. In effect, linking against the Cygwin DLL "taints" your code. This is the essential distinction between the GPL and the Library GPL (LGPL) in my understanding. The LGPL would allow you to link against the library, as long as it was unchanged from the original or the source for the changes to the original were available, without being obligated to supply your application source as well. -- Stephen Vance | http://www.deneb.com Deneb Robotics, Inc. | mailto:vance AT deneb DOT com 5500 New King Street | Phone: (248) 267-9696 Troy, MI 48098-2615 | Fax: (248) 267-8585 What is done well is done quickly enough. -Augustus Caesar - For help on using this list (especially unsubscribing), send a message to "gnu-win32-request AT cygnus DOT com" with one line of text: "help".