On May 24, 1:48 pm, "Alfred M. Szmidt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > But the free software is the GPL program -- how does it > > > protect free software by requiring that the non-GPL one > > > become GPL as well? The free software is only the GPL > > > program -- which can function on it's own, unlike the > > > non-GPL program, and if all sources to said GPL program > > > are divulged under GPL, then how is it made any less > > > free? It isn't!!! > > > > > > The end result is no longer free, since users are now > > > prohibited from running, studying, improving and > > > distributing the non-free program. The GPL sees that this > > > will never happen, and users are always guaranteed to always > > > be free. > > > > The _entire_ non-free program, of course -- but such a > > distribution would still keep the originally free code free. > > > > If the originally free code is linked to a propietery program, > > then the result is not free. The GPL sees that this will never > > happen. > > But the originally free code is still made free. So I'm vindicated > in my understanding: It is designed to not only keep the original > free code free, but to make more code free. > > The original is no longer free, since it depends on a non-free work. > The resulting work, a deriviate, is no longer free. And for the last > time, the GPL cannot make anything free, only the copyright holder > can.
How is the free code suddenly dependent on the non free work? The non-free work is what's dependent on the free code, not the other way around, in my scenario. Saying the "GPL makes things free" is a quick way of saying that "the GPL requires you to make things free if you want to use other free things (specifically, GPLed free things) in a certain way". It's just a lot shorter, and I am surprised you want such excruciating, exacting detail. Most people could get the drift of what I'm saying. We're obviously way off base with the understanding. _______________________________________________ gnu-misc-discuss mailing list gnu-misc-discuss@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss
