Hi Adam, All my responses below are with the caveats: + as per my understanding + I am not a lawyer >GIVEN the constraints we desire for our binary... What are those constraints? >Critically, if you link statically then you MUST provide source, a second executable that is linked dynamically, or object files that the user can link themselves. For works that are derivative from the LGPL library's source code itself: correct. For works that are not derivative from the LGPL library's source itself: incorrect. >It depends on whether the library distributed with the statically-linked binary is GPL or LGPL. Granted. If YOUR binary is GPL, the GCC library can be distributed GPL. That is a specific provision in the LGPL. If YOUR binary is LGPL, the GCC library can be distributed LGPL. And if YOUR binary is not LGPL nor GPL (but, say, completely proprietary), the GCC library can be distributed LGPL. Either statically or dynamically. And if the GCC library was modified, there is an obligation to provide the modified source code. >For compliance with the former case [GPL library] our source must be rendered GPL and in the latter case the binary is rendered LGPL Yes, you are correct. You can distribute YOUR source as GPL. The LGPL GCC library does not prevent you from doing that, and the LGPL specifically allows you to redistribute the GCC library as GPL as well. (And encourages more GPL contributions in general. To the benefit of all humanity.) >We're wishing to simply provide a binary which is statically linked with libgcc, which was the main precept given in my original question. The main answer to the main precept is: yes, you can do that. >Within the constraints of the vanilla LGPL, we would then have to provide one of a number of alternative forms of our product, as given in section 6 of the LGPL. 6d is fairly easy and painless to be in compliance with. Is that outside the bounds of your constraints? >If libgcc is vanilla GPL... The libgcc is not GPL, it is LGPL. >It is NOT clear to me what the license of libgcc is, particularly the one linked by GCC 3.1.1 before additional exemptions went in. The libgcc is LGPL. Sincerely, --Eljay
