On Tue, 2011-02-08 at 18:18 +0100, Olaf van der Spek wrote: > On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 5:59 PM, Monty Taylor <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 02/08/2011 02:04 AM, [email protected] wrote: > >> Hi, > >> > >> I have noticed that compiling libdrizzle (BSD-like license) on windows > >> requires various files provided under the LGPL license (e.g. poll.c/.h, > >> alloca.c/.h). > >> Is it ok that BSD and LGPL files are compiled together in a single DLL > >> or should 2 DLLs be created (one containing the LGPL code, the other > >> containing the BSD code). > > > > It's fine... LGPL is essentially the same as BSD and isn't incompatible > > like plain GPL code would be. (although I believe we have a bsd poll in > > the other tree... I _REALLY_ need to get this sorted...) > > AFAIK that's not true. If the lib contains LGPL code, you can't > distribute the lib as BSD. >
When it comes to *linking* to a library, BSD style licenses and LGPL are virtually identical. Link whatever you want. When it comes to *licensing* they are not. LGPL still guarantees that the code itself must continue to be distributed under the LGPL, whereas BSD code can be re-licensed however the user see's fit. This is why Microsoft could take the BSD socket library and just dump it into Windows 95 without much more than attribution in the about screen, for instance. #include'ing a header and linking to the corresponding library is considered linking, not copying. The LGPL exists precisely to allow non GPL software to link. Anywhere you find pure GPL libraries, you'll almost always find a less encumbered work-alike (libreadline was unusable in BSD, but highly desired, and so spawned libedit for instance), or a dead concept. I'm sure there are exceptions, but you get the point. IIRC, libdrizzle was given a BSD license to avoid the ambiguity surrounding libmysqlclient's "client exception" due to mysql's dual license nature. Strategically, making a GPL network service, with LGPL plugin bindings, and a BSD network access library, seems the best way to balance the desire to keep things Free and open source without hindering adoption. _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~drizzle-discuss Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~drizzle-discuss More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
