[OT] open-source license issues

[Steven Schveighoffer]

On Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:17:29 -0400, Jonas Drewsen <jdrewsen at nospam.com>  
wrote:

> On 11/04/11 22.01, Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
>> On Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:05:24 -0400, Russel Winder <russel at russel.org.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 2011-04-11 at 15:39 +0000, Adam D. Ruppe wrote:
>>> [ . . . ]
>>>> fine, but a standard library is distributed with D programs. LGPL
>>>> requires you to send source when distributing the library.
>>>
>>> I would have to check but as far as I remember the (L)GPL does not
>>> require you to distribute the source with the compiled form if that is
>>> what is distributed, it requires that the end user can get the source
>>> for the compiled form. From a distribution perspective these are very
>>> different things. cf. The Maven Repository, which distributes masses of
>>> compiled jar files and no source in sight.
>>
>> IIUC, the LGPL is like applying the GPL to the library, but does not
>> restrict proprietary software from linking to it. I think this means you
>> can distribute your proprietary software without providing source code.
>> However, if you supply the library (which is covered under the same
>> rules as the GPL), then you must provide or provide upon request the
>> source code to the LGPL-covered library. If you don't ship the library,
>> then you don't have to supply the source code, but then you are shipping
>> a binary that doesn't work unless they also download the LGPL library
>> separately.
>>
>> It all adds up to "not going to be in druntime/Phobos" :)
>>
>> -Steve
>
> Actually, if you haven't made any changes to the LGPL library that you  
> are distribution then you can just refer to the projects homepage for  
> the source code.
>
> This also means that putting the list of URLs for the used LGPL  
> libraries in the Phobos packages would suffice. Can't get much easier  
> than that.

But why require it just for using the language?  If I use a language, I  
want complete control over my license.  I do not want to be forced into  
printing/including anything.  If I want to use a LGPL'd library, then that  
should be my choice.  Putting it in Phobos takes away the choice.

-Steve