Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!attctc!ltf
From: ltf@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (Lance Franklin)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: The GNU license.
Message-ID: <8743@attctc.Dallas.TX.US>
Date: 24 Jul 89 04:53:15 GMT
References: <873@umb.umb.edu>
Reply-To: ltf@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (Lance Franklin)
Organization: The Unix(R) Connection BBS, Dallas, Tx
Lines: 34

In article <873@umb.umb.edu> karl@umb.umb.edu (Karl Berry.) writes:
>GCC, on the other hand, produces almost no code that is not derived from
>the original source. The exception is gnulib. Its routine are
>explicitly not copylefted, because they are too small to possibly
>qualify for copyright. When the GNU runtime libraries are released, a
>final binary that incorporates the libraries will have to be freely
>distributable, just like Bison. (Yes, a hoarder can get around this by
>distributing only object code for his/her program, source for the GNU
>libraries, and having the user do the link. Let's not get sidetracked.)
>In other words, the result of a compilation with gcc -c is not
>copylefted.

So, if I get this straight, if I compile my program using GCC, then link
with GNU's runtime library, I have to give away my source code to anybody
who asks for it.  On the other hand, if I write my own runtime library, or
put together one from public-domain, freely-redistributable source code
(there's a good amount of it floating about, without such "copyleft"s), I'm
then in the clear to distribute my executable as I wish...without having
to give my source out...correct?

Interesting possibilities here...I could then market my own runtime library
for use with GCC, so that commercial developers could then use GCC for
their projects and distribute executables...not exactly "politically-correct"
in FSF's eyes, I imagine, but perfectly legal.

Hmmm...anybody want to get together on a nice little shareware project?  :-)

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!"