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Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 16:03:54 +0100
From: Corinna Vinschen <corinna-cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Subject: Re: Help! Need B.20.1 src
Message-ID: <20050123150354.GC10176@cygbert.vinschen.de>
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On Jan 23 09:28, John Mellor wrote:
> On Sat, 2005-22-01 at 20:22 -0500, Christopher Faylor wrote:
> > On Sat, Jan 22, 2005 at 05:17:44PM -0800, Brian Dessent wrote:
> > >I don't know if the ancient Bxx series was LGPL, but the current Cygwin
> > >source is GPL which means you must provide not only the Cygwin DLL
> > >source but also all the source of your app that links to it.
> > >
> > >There is a mailing list to discuss this: cygwin-licensing at cygwin dot
> > >com.
> > 
> > I think that cygwin has been GPL since early 1997.
> > 
> > So, you're right.  I can't believe I missed this.  Anything that uses the
> > Cygwin DLL is GPLed.
> 
> In fact, I cannot ship the source for the app if I wanted to, as that
> would then publish some of the Customer's proprietary trade secrets.

If you linked your application against the Cygwin DLL, then this
application *is* GPL'd.  Full stop up to this point.  You don't
have to publish the sources to the world, but you have to publish
your sources to your customer.  Your customer has the right to
get the source code of your application and the Cygwin DLL.  If
you didn't do this so far, you're violating the license.

> However, if I read the specific version of the GPL that is being used
> for cygwin correctly, then it says:
> 
> > In accordance with section 10 of the GPL, Red Hat permits programs
> > whose sources are distributed under a license that complies with the
> > Open Source definition to be linked with libcygwin.a/cygwin1.dll
> > without libcygwin.a/cygwin1.dll itself causing the resulting program
> > to be covered by the GNU GPL.
> > [...]
> 
> I believe that my app meets this criteria, and this then prevents me
> from being between a rock and a hard place    ;^)

I don't see how that applies to your application.  The above paragraph
only mentions that open source applications are excempted from that rule,
not proprietary software as yours.

You have two choices:

- Comply with the GPL in one way or the other, which always means your
  application is also GPLed and you have to open the source code to
  your customer.

- Or, you ask Red Hat for a special Cygwin License according to this
  paragraph on http://cygwin.com/licensing.html:

    Red Hat sells a special Cygwin License for customers who are unable
    to provide their application in open source code form. For more
    information, please see: http://www.redhat.com/software/cygwin/,
    or call +1-866-2REDHAT ext. 45300 (toll-free in the US)


Corinna

-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Project Co-Leader          mailto:cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat, Inc.

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