Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!sharkey!itivax!scs
From: scs@itivax.iti.org (Steve C. Simmons)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: InterViews G++ Copyleft Status
Message-ID: <2292@itivax.iti.org>
Date: 22 Jul 89 04:25:23 GMT
References: <43105@bbn.COM>
Organization: Industrial Technology Institute, Ann Arbor, MI.
Lines: 35


Much of what is below was figured out in discussion with Dave Steinhoff
(uunet!amara!des).   Please credit him for the facts and me for the errors.

It appears that g++ itself is like gcc with regards to copyleft.
You can write your own code and compile it as you please.  The
problem comes in when linking your code.  Just as c requires a
libc.a, so c++/g++ requires its own libraries.  Since the g++
library source is copylefted, the compiled library is copylefted
and the resulting linked object can only be distributed under the
copyleft rules.

The InterViews package of Stanford contains a public domain
version of the c++ library, ie, one not derived from FSF or ATT
source.  Although useful, this does not provide a complete PD
g++ package.  There are two modules which must be supplied from
FSF code: crt0+.o and crt1+.o.  The g++ installation script ads
these to your libc.a.

A similar situation would apply with gcc, but Stallman/FSF has
explicitly granted the use of those modules in linked code.  To
our knowledge, he/FSF has *not* done so with the g++ modules.
Given the purpose of FSF, one should not expect it.

If you are using the InterViews package, be aware that you must
supply your own version of these two modules if you wish to avoid
FSF copyright infringement.

Disclaimer -- this is Daves and my opinion.  It doesn't necessarily
reflect the views of our employers, Richard Stallman, or the
Free Software Foundation.
-- 
Steve Simmons		          scs@vax3.iti.org
Industrial Technology Institute     Ann Arbor, MI.
"Velveeta -- the Spam of Cheeses!" -- Uncle Bonsai