[Pipet Devel] License

[J.W. Bizzaro]

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Jarl van Katwijk wrote:
> 
> 
> Yes, the one that makes it possible to have programs
> wrapped\linked that
> are of any type of licence.

The way I see it, the LGPL allows the 'linking' of the LGPL program to a
non-GPL program (the ordinary GPL does not allow it).  Unfortunately, the LGPL
does not define very well what is meant by 'linking' :-(  I know that
'linking' does not mean 'incorporating'.  We should define these in our own
license:

    'Incorporating' means to combine code bases to the extent that
    the programs are packaged and compiled together: They essentially
    become one program.

    'Linking' is the connection of a SPECIFIC program/library to VSh
    to form a path of communication that is REQUIRED for either VSh
    or the program/library to function.  IPC between VSh and another
    executable program is NOT considered 'linking', since either can
    function without the other.

It makes sense that making a connection between Netscape Navigator and Apache
is not the 'linking' mentioned and restricted by the GPL, doesn't it?  The GPL
only addresses certain types of linking.  I think this is what Linus Torvalds
is saying in his note atop the Linux license: 

    NOTE! This copyright does *not* cover user programs that use kernel
  services by normal system calls - this is merely considered normal use
  of the kernel, and does *not* fall under the heading of "derived work".

If we add to the LGPL, definitions of 'linking' and 'incorporating' like the
ones I gave, we should be covered for connecting non-GPL programs and
libraries to VSh.

Jeff
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                      |           J.W. Bizzaro           |
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