From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,FREEMAIL_FROM autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,3ec90d7920bdc8e8 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news2.google.com!news4.google.com!feeder3.cambrium.nl!feeder6.cambrium.nl!feed.tweaknews.nl!feeder.news-service.com!peer.news.zetnet.net!peer-uk.news.demon.net!kibo.news.demon.net!mutlu.news.demon.net!news.demon.co.uk!demon!not-for-mail From: Simon Wright Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Ada and licensing Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:25:43 +0100 Organization: Pushface Message-ID: References: <1190014387.975202.55530@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com> <1190032323.899346.97800@50g2000hsm.googlegroups.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: pogner.demon.co.uk Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 1190240742 3808 62.49.19.209 (19 Sep 2007 22:25:42 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:25:42 +0000 (UTC) Cancel-Lock: sha1:GSJYZ10Rzv/mOaorpjU5+5MCkZs= User-Agent: Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.1 (darwin) Xref: g2news2.google.com comp.lang.ada:2042 Date: 2007-09-19T23:25:43+01:00 List-Id: Jacob Sparre Andersen 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 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.