On Sat, Dec 03, 2005 at 07:32:15PM +0100, Stefano Mazzocchi wrote: > Dalibor Topic wrote: > > >I'd like to see the ASF allow use of code under the GPL+linking exception > >as well, as that is necessary for the Apache httpd builds made using gcc > >that are > >distributed from Apache.org anyway, and would allow us to ship > >gcc-compiled binaries of Harmony. Someone tell the httpd guys to raise it > >at legal-discuss. > > Hmmm, interesting claim. > > Can you say more about this?
See the other post of my droning about libcrt and gcc's startup code on OS X. ;) > > Cliff, were you aware of this issue? > It's not a real issue, as in "OMG! We've got to do something about it!". But it should be useful in persuading those board members that are sceptical about GPL+linking exception sort of licenses in general, as otherwise we can't ship anything that uses GPL+linking exception licensed code, and unsurprisingly, gcc's little startup routines are licensed under GPL+linking exception, and in general tend to end up in the resulting binary. But thanks to the linking exception, they impose no restrictions on the license of the binary. Not that anyone shipping proprietary code compiled with gcc has had problems with that, afaik. And there is a bootload of proprietary embedded systems that use gcc as their only toolchain, as well as big operating systems vendors shipping gcc based toolchains. In GNU Classpath's case, the actual exception text could be improved to reflect ASF's needs for clarity in the Java space. But I believe the problem we faced regarding the GNU Classpath license was simply someone having doubts about the legality of the GPL+linking exception construct, which is something the ASF needs to have an informed opinion on. Otherwise ASF distributing a httpd built with gcc would indeed be weird, if we ended up regarding such license constructs as questionable. cheers, dalibor topic > -- > Stefano. >
