This link seems to confirm the Etherlab invocation is GPLv2 so you may be right! https://etherlab.org/en/ethercat/index.php
Rod Webster +61 435 765 611 Vehicle Modifications Network www.vehiclemods.net.au On 23 January 2018 at 11:06, Gene Heskett <ghesk...@shentel.net> wrote: > On Monday 22 January 2018 15:14:34 Rod Webster wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Its been a long time but many years ago when working with Ghostscript > > and commercial interfaces to it. The solution was (under their > > license) to build an interface to the external library in such a way > > if the external library/DLL wasn't there the software did not fail and > > if another library with an identical interface to the published > > interface was installed, the software would operate as normal. If the > > library was not found, the software did not crash but it was not > > functional. This required a bit more work on the part of the developer > > as the DLL required to be loaded at runtime dynamically rather than > > being linked statically at compile time. > > > > If such an approach was allowable under the LinuxCNC license, from the > > users perspective all that he would need to do would be to install an > > ethercat binary and ethercat protocol would be enabled as LinuxCNC's > > code is totally compartmentalised from the commercial license. (kinda > > like a software version of plugging in a Mesa Smart Serial device.) > > > > Rod Webster > > +61 435 765 611 > > Vehicle Modifications Network > > www.vehiclemods.net.au > > > > On 23 January 2018 at 05:38, Darren Conway <darren.con...@xtra.co.nz> > wrote: > > > Hi > > > > > > Has anyone considered asking Bekhoff for their view on this issue? > > > > > > They might grant a GPL compatible license for LinuxCNC. > > > > > > Regards > > > > > > Darren Conway > > > > > > On 23.01.18 8:27 AM, Andy Pugh wrote: > > >> On 22 Jan 2018, at 21:08, Nicklas Karlsson > > >> <nicklas.karlsso...@gmail.com> > > >> > > >>> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> In source code I got from soem there is GNU license but somewhere > > >>> I also found an exception, below so I am a little bit confused. > > >> > > >> I have always been confused by this too. > > >> > > >> The worry is that if we distribute anything EtherCAT with LinuxCNC > > >> then we obligate anyone who uses it to also seek a Bekhoff license. > > >> So that would make our distribution not-GPL > > >> > > >> I think that the Free Software Foundation has lawyers, but can’t > > >> recall if we asked them about this. > > >> > > >> Then you get into the murky shadows that allow Wine to exist. > > I can't seem to understand the problem. GPLv2 specifically prohibits any > further restrictions. They have stated its GPLv2, so any further > restrictions either remove it from GPLv2 coverage, or are illegal to > apply to a GPLv2 license. I'd ask the question at the FSF. > > And how many of the court cases have been dropped once the plaintiff > actually read the license vs how many times the plaintiff has been > awarded the win against the GPLv2. That balance historically has been > almost exclusively in favor of the GPLv2. > > Cheers, Gene Heskett > -- > "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: > soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." > -Ed Howdershelt (Author) > Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene> > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------ > Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most > engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot > _______________________________________________ > Emc-developers mailing list > Emc-developers@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-developers > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Emc-developers mailing list Emc-developers@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-developers
