Re: [EE]: opinion on Willem programmer?

On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 11:26:13PM -0400, Sean Breheny wrote:
> I can't help with the questions/debate but I do have a question of my own:
> 
> If you USE GPL'ed software libraries in your code, you do not need to
> release the whole code under GPL, do you?

Yes you do. That's why there are very few libraries that actually fall
under the GPL. Most are LGPL which does not have that requirement.

> Am I correct that the only time you must release your code is when it
> is actually a modified version of the GPL'ed code itself?

Nope. If your code uses a GPL library, then the combined work falls under
the GPL for distribution. This means the entire codebase, including your
source code must be distributed to anyone that you distribute the product
to.

With the LGPL, as long as your code only uses the library, and does not 
change it, then the requirement is that you release your code in a form so
that an end user can link a newer version of the library to your code. On
desktops this really isn't a problem because generally the library is
dynamically linked. However with embedded systems where the library and the
code that uses it are comingled, that means that it reverts to the GPL.

There is no widespread license that addresses the final issue outlined
above. So in general for embedded projects, neither license is used unless
the developer is willing to release their source along with their product.

BAJ

> 
> Sean
> 
> 
> On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 7:30 PM, Robert Ammerman <rammerman <at> verizon.net> wrote:
> >  I am a company and I want to develop a really cool program that does "X". My
> >  business model/planning tells me that the only way I can make money off this
> >  program is to keep it closed (which, IMNSHO is _very_ often the case).
> >
> >  Now there very conveniently already exists GPLed code that does 90% of X, so
> >  I can develop my product for Z dollars and sell each copy for (Z/100)
> >  dollars. Except of course, I can't use this route because an open source
> >  distribution model just won't work.
> >
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