Andrew Haley wrote:
Audrius Meskauskas writes:
> I think, you can link your code with GNU Classpath library regardless on
> how nasty license your code has, and distribute this combination. And
> likely you can make various tricks with class loaders as well as long as
> you do not modify the original GNU Classpath code.
It is clearly written in
http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/license.html .
>
> If you modify any single line of the GNU Classpath, this is another
> story. Then, I think, you must release the modified version of
> Classpath (not all your JRE) under the same GPL+Exception license.
Where does it say that?
Andrew.
Modifying and then compiling into executable is not just linking.
Linking is when you l
ink with unchanged code. Hence this case is not covered by our linking
exception.
Hence, for this case, for the GNU Classpath code, all GPL terms apply:
"you must give the recipients all the rights that you have. "
The GPL terms does not extend to the code of the proprietary JRE because
in the
linking exception is written that "If you modify this library, you may
extend
this exception to your version of the library". If the exception is
extended,
the modified version can be linked with the proprietary code as well, the
modified versions can be released, but this does not free from the duty
to release the modified code of the GNU Classpath part.
There is a good FAQ on various GPL related questions at
http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/license.html. Apart the GPL
itself, this is
the main source I used to produce my answer.
While, I repeat, I am not a lawyer, sometimes I observe a little bit of FUD
around the GPL. Because of this, I decided to reply to the initiating
message.
Audrius
Audrius.
