[ILUG] GPL clarification.

[Mel Gorman]

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005, Bryan O'Donoghue wrote:

> I download glibc and change some source. I redistribute this code subsequently
> (for money or otherwise).
>
> As I understand the GPL (and I'd rather not get into a litigious hypothetical
> or quagmire of quotes from the GPL), I must make the source code for the
> _modifications_ also available to whoever I distribute the code to, under the
> GPL.
>
> The following statement hasn't been tested in court to my knowledge :
>
> If I link (with ld or similar) my propiatery code, to GPL code, I am not bound
> in any way to make my source code GPL.
>
>
> Is this an accurate statement?
>

No, because glibc is under the LGPL

GPL Project => If you link to it *or* derive off it, the source of the
result must be distributed

LGPL Project => If you modify the source, you must distribute the result.
If you only link the binary, you do not have to distribute the source.

This is a broad generalisation, but you get the idea.

-- 
Mel Gorman
Part-time Phd Student                          Java Applications Developer
University of Limerick                         IBM Dublin Software Lab