'GPL encumbrance problems'

[Mike McCarty]

Andy Green wrote:
> jdow wrote:
> 
> 
>>Andy, I am a software developer by trade. I use it to earn my daily bread
>>and board. If I develop in an environment that involves GPL I cannot see a
>>model that will continue to feed me and house me unless I take up a side
>>job asking, "Do you want to supersize that, sir?" or sit at my own help
>>desk all day instead of developing. GPL contaminates things too thoroughly.
>>I am not a lawyer. I just read that document and basically stay away from
>>GPL except for some recreational coding I've done.

Seconded and re-seconded.

> I also design software and hardware... but depending on the field you
> work in, GPL stuff can bring an awful lot of firepower to the party very
> cheaply.  Again depending on the circumstance, the compataibility,
> quality, time to market and royalty-free advanatages surrounding that
> can overwhelm the possible competitive disadvantage of having to open
> some of your stuff.

No, GPL forces one to open everything.

> The general deal is AIUI if you link with GPL'd stuff -- not LGPL'd,
> which will not infect what it links to but only changes to itself -- you
> will have to open your work.  It seems that we crossed a threshold now
> and the signs are that if you generate kernel modules you can expect
> that sources will be demanded.

LGPL is less infective, but even that gets you into being a distributor
of source.

[snip]

> Of course in your particular field if there is no specific benefit to be
> had from using or being directly compatible with GPL'd stuff then it
> makes sense to avoid it.

Unless one just wants to produce GPL or LGPL stuff, and not feed himself
with the fruit of his labor (like Joanne and I do) it makes sense to
avoid GPL altogether, end of story.

> But if its just that you are considering to use, say, Fedora as a
> platform for scripts or usermode apps then AFAIUI there is zero leakage
> of the GPL-ness of the OS apps up into your code and BSD or GPL makes no
> odds there.

Erm, if you compile and link any program which runs on Linux, you
end up with at least LGPL stuff in your code.

Mike
-- 
p="p=%c%s%c;main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}";main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}
This message made from 100% recycled bits.
You have found the bank of Larn.
I can explain it for you, but I can't understand it for you.
I speak only for myself, and I am unanimous in that!