Re: GPL or LGPL ?

[Nick Gorham <nick easysoft com>]

Rodrigo Moya wrote:

> "Derek A. Neighbors" wrote:
> >
> > > Yes, you are right, I haven't thought about this, but isn't it better to
> > > let commercial applications to be developed with gnome-db? What do you
> > > think?
> >
> > I think it depends on how much you value freedom and want others to
> > respect it.  If you really want people to use free software and you wish
> > to propogate it you would use the GPL and suffer a small loss in those
> > willing to use the product.
> >
> > If your primary concern is making all parties happy and getting the most
> > possible users than LGPL is the way to go.
> >
> > I of course lean towards exposing people to the GPL and making them
> > understand their freedom, but I am somewhat of a zealot on this issue.
> >
> I value freedom, and I would like to have all software under the GPL
> license, but I did it like this (LGPL) as this is how all the GNOME
> libraries are licensed.
>
> And, the more I think about this, the more I prefer to license them
> under the GPL, but I'd like to do it only if all of you agree with that.
> So what do you prefer?
>
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Well the libs that unixODBC provides for the config are GPL (we went through
exactly the same discussion) as it started life with a glade project, all the
odbc drivers and the driver manager are LGPL, as we do want them to be used in
commercial apps, both by Easysoft and others (Applix, iHTML, etc). But all the
programs are GPL.

It wouldn't worry me if the gda providers were GPL, I would actually prefer
this myself as I do think the GPL is important, but I would't sulk and take my
ball home if it was decided to use LGPL.

If people want to make commercial software, there are enough other ways they
could go (ODBC being one, but I don't think this makes me too biased). The
G does stand for GNU after all.

--
Nick Gorham
Easysoft Ltd