On Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 4:17 PM, Ralf Hemmecke <r...@hemmecke.de> wrote: > >>> Since you are *not* distributing the programs together, I don't see how >>> the GPL applies. The *user* is the one that is running the command to >>> download the non-gpl program, and all linking or other dependencies are >>> happening on the user's machine, at their request. The result is not >>> being distributed. >> >> *Technically* this may be legal because currently I'm not distributing >> the binary with both spkg's prebuilt. >> However, I still do not at all feel comfortable with such >> distribution. In fact, I generally would like to very strongly >> discourage anybody from creating any so-called GPL'd spkg (or other >> programs) that cannot be built without linking in a GPL-incompatible >> non-system library during **compile time**. Though perhaps >> technically legal, this is against my understanding of the spirit of >> the GPL and certainly not good for the free software ecosystem. > > Are you suggesting, that such a program should best not be written at > all? No matter how useful it might be for a bunch of people?
Well given that nobody can distribute binaries of such a program, it does seem hard to see how I could personally encourage somebody to write such a thing. > I understand your position, though. > > The problem actually is the non-free program not the GPL code. ;-) :-) -- William --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send an email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to sage-devel-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URL: http://www.sagemath.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
