Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!ssc-vax!coy
From: coy@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stephen B Coy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Re^2: GNU programs, copyleft (was Re: IS MT UUCP Legal??) (long)
Message-ID: <2800@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jul 89 19:20:46 GMT
References: <4456ee6c.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP> <1602@atari.UUCP> <20384@cup.portal.com> <8675@attctc.DALLAS.TX.US>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Corp., Seattle WA
Lines: 36

In article <8675@attctc.DALLAS.TX.US>, ltf@attctc.DALLAS.TX.US (Lance Franklin) writes:
> In article <2797@ssc-vax.UUCP> coy@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stephen B Coy) writes:
> >The libraries, however, are GNU code and therefore anything containing
> >them fall under copyleft.
> 
> Hold on now....does that mean that, if I use their libraries, I am obligated
> to supply the source code of MY part of the program to anybody that asks for
> it,
Yes, if you distribute an executable created from GNU source, in
whole or in part, then it falls under the provisions of the
copyleft.  One of the copyleft provisions is that ALL source code
for the executable must be made available for free (except for a
copying fee).

> former, you can pretty much kiss off any use of GCC for commercial applications,
> since almost nobody wants to supply their source code to a the general
> public in the commercial marketplace, since that general public almost always
> includes your competitors, or possible competitors.
I think that's the whole point :-)  You're not supposed to restrict
access to source code to anyone.  This is at the very heart of the
Free Software Foundation's goals.

If you still want to use GCC for traditional commercial purposes you
need to write your own library routines.

> Lance
> +-------------------------+ +------------------------------------------+
> | Lance T Franklin        | | "And all who heard should see them there,
> | ltf@attctc.DALLAS.TX.US | |  And all should cry, Beware!  Beware!
> +-------------------------+ +  His flashing eyes, his floating hair!"

Stephen Coy
uw-beaver!ssc-vax!coy

	All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence,
		     and then success is sure.