"Karl J. Runge" said:
>On Thu, 7 Jun 2001, "Derek D. Martin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> Karl J. Runge said:
>>
>> No... you are using a utility that exists on the system. If the
>> sysadmin hasn't installed it seperately (often through OS install),
>> your exec will fail. Unless you distribute gzip with your
>> software... then you might be getting yourself into some issues.
>
>I knew using gzip was a bad example... replace with "arbitrary GPL'd
program".
>
>I guess you are saying if I tell the user to go get "arbitrary GPL'd
>program" and install it so my proprietary program will work (my program
>can't work without it) that is OK . I imagine it is, since that is a
>user doing these acts "the private". Still, it seems there is some room
>for fuzziness... (e.g. how "helpful" can I be their getting of "arbitray
>GPL'd program"). Oh well, IANAL.
Actually, as long as it's strictly use, there is no debate - GPL only
covers redistribution. You can USE a GPL'd program however you want,
including mixing it with proprietary programs.
>From the GPL:
Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not
covered by this License; they are outside its scope.
>
>> AH! But that's not the same thing, is it? In the first case, you're
>> exec-ing a seperate program. In this case, you'd be LINKING against a
>> GPL'd library. That code runs in the same address space.
>
>My point was zlib is apparently released under much less restriction,
>evidently not even LGPL.
>
>> > I am worried that the GPL does not spell out this fork+exec is
explicitly
>> > permitted, this is a crack that lawyers can insert a wedge and start
>> > pounding...
>>
>> It spells out "in a shared address space." Once you exec(2) a
>> different program, it gets its own, seperate, address space. Yes?
>
>Where in the GPL does it say "shared address space"? The FAQ does, but
>the GPL doesn't. The LGPL works toward a general definition of
>"linking", but certainly is not that explicit about address space, etc. (I
>guess there really can't be, because paradigms change over time...)
>
Actually, it says:
The "Program", below,
refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program"
means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law:
that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it,
either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another
language.
CORBA and other forms of linking are a question that RMS has stated he's
working to address in the next version of the GPL.
jeff
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffry Smith Technical Sales Consultant Mission Critical Linux
[EMAIL PROTECTED] phone:603.930.9739 fax:978.446.9470
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought for today: rusty iron n.
Syn. tired iron. It has been claimed
that this is the inevitable fate of water MIPS.
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