Re: Ada and licensing

[Simon Wright <simon.j.wright@mac.com>]

Jacob Sparre Andersen <sparre@nbi.dk> writes:

> Simon Wright wrote:
>> Ole-Hjalmar Kristensen wrote:
>
>>> I suppose you could also compile with GNAT, and send a library to
>>> your customers. Still no RTL involved.
>>
>> I think that would be the same as distributing an executable.
>
> Not quite.
>
>> Not aware of anyone having discussed this, but as far as I can see a
>> .o file would be GPL'd just as much as the .exe's built from it.
>
> No.  The GPL is on the run-time library.  And .o files are not linked,
> and thus not infected with the license of the run-time library.

No. If that were the case, the LGPL could apply.

The GMGPL says

--  As a special exception, if other files instantiate generics from
--  this unit, or you link this unit with other files to produce an
--  executable, this unit does not by itself cause the resulting
--  executable to be covered by the GNU General Public License.  This
--  exception does not however invalidate any other reasons why the
--  executable file might be covered by the GNU Public License.

and it's the part about instantiating generics that makes the
difference with Ada. See Robert Dewar posting at <http://groups.google.com/group/gnu.misc.discuss/browse_frm/thread/39771953fe5b2343/d0f4551a982449cc?lnk=st&q=&rnum=9#d0f4551a982449cc>

Compare bison.simple --

/* As a special exception, when this file is copied by Bison into a
   Bison output file, you may use that output file without restriction.
   This special exception was added by the Free Software Foundation
   in version 1.24 of Bison.  */

One would imagine there's a similar issue with the C++ headers -- yes,
from the GCC 4.0.0 iostream,

// As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free software
// library without restriction.  Specifically, if other files instantiate
// templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you compile
// this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this
// file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by
// the GNU General Public License.  This exception does not however
// invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be covered by
// the GNU General Public License.