Re: GTK Netscape is impossible

[Toshio Kuratomi <badger prtr-13 ucsc edu>]

On Wed, 11 Mar, 1998 at 11:16:23AM -0500, Carl Thompson set free these words:
> 
> > Still, I'm quite sure that  your interpretetation (the last sentences)
> > of the LGPL is not correct: Netscape doesn't distribute libc or any other
> > (L)GPLed library. They deliver a Communicator binary that can be linked
> > dynamically on your machine by ld.so with e.g. Linux libc. Whoever supplied
> > you with the libc on your system is responsible for providing you with the
> > source (according to the LGPL), and with that source, you're perfectly able
> > to fix that LGPLed libraries. AFAIK: As long as Netscape doesn't include
> > LGPLed code in the distribution (which they don't apart from the stubs,
> > which is fine with the LGPL), they don't have to provide you with the
> > source!
> ...
> 
> I agree that it should be as you describe, however I do not think Richard
> Stallman and the free software foundation agree.  Your say that stubs are
> fine with the LGPL, but I can't find any mention of dynamically linked
> executables (or their stubs) in the LGPL.  Also remember that in order to
> use these LGPLed libraries, you must include LGPLed header files directly
> in your code.
> 
The portion of the LGPL that is relevant to the discussion would be:
Section 5, Para 3 & 4.

[quote]
When a "work that uses the Library" uses material from a header file
that is part of the Library, the object code for the work may be a
derivative work of the Library even though the source code is not.
Whether this is true is especially significant if the work can be linked
without the Library, or if the work is itself a library. The threshold for
this to be true is not precisely defined by law. 

If such an object file uses only numerical parameters, data structure
layouts and accessors, and small macros and small inline functions
(ten lines or less in length), then the use of the object file is
unrestricted, regardless of whether it is legally a derivative work.
(Executables containing this object code plus portions of the Library
will still fall under Section 6.) 
[end quote]

Depending on your interpretation of Sentence 1, paragraph 2, I think this
outtake could give you permission to dynamically link against some LGPL
libraries even when you are using headers from those libraries.

OTOH, Mr. Stallman might or might not agree. :)

-Toshio
-- 
badger  \"The Difference between today and yesterday is not so much what has
@prtr-13 \ changed between then and now as what I hope to change by tomorrow."
.ucsc.edu  \~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~

PGP signature