From: ian Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 00:45:54 +0000 (+0000) Subject: + * Documentation improved somewhat, including new GPL-vs-LGPL file. X-Git-Tag: rel-adns-pre-1-0--1~3 X-Git-Url: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ianmdlvl/git?p=adns.git;a=commitdiff_plain;h=239d2e4dfb6fcfc26fe3f740efae8f6944b99799;hp=8e5a4960dc66700c71644d188ff9aa4ec250782d + * Documentation improved somewhat, including new GPL-vs-LGPL file. @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ * adnsresfilter has --debug option. * Improvements to adnslogres (incl. new -c option) from Tony Finch. * adnslogres has --help option. - * Documentation improved somewhat. + * Documentation improved somewhat, including new GPL-vs-LGPL file. * Do not install adnstest test utility. Regression test improvements: --- diff --git a/GPL-vs-LGPL b/GPL-vs-LGPL new file mode 100644 index 0000000..00c37b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/GPL-vs-LGPL @@ -0,0 +1,122 @@ + GPL vs LGPL, in the context of adns + ----------------------------------- + +Several people have asked me to release GNU adns under the GNU Lesser +General Public Licence (LGPL, formerly the Library GPL) instead of the +`stronger' GPL. This file is intended to answer most of these +questions. If you still have questions or comments, please mail me at +. + +Typically there are two or three kinds of situation where people make +this request: the first is where someone is developing a proprietary +program and wishes to make use of adns but doesn't wish to make their +program free software. The second case is where a free software +project is currently using an MIT-like licence or the LGPL and fear +`GPL infection'. The third case, which often overlaps with the +second, is where another free software project currently using a +GPL-incompatible licence, wishes to use adns. + + +1. Proprietary applications of adns +----------------------------------- + +So, let me get this straight. You're writing a proprietary +program, by which I mean that you will not be distributing source code +and not allowing users to modify and share your software; most likely +you are doing this for your own (personal or corporate) financial +gain. + +However, you want to take advantage of adns, software which I have +spent my time and effort on, and which I release as free software so +that everyone can improve, share and use it. + +Don't you think that is a little hypocritical ? I'm sorry, but I +don't want you to just take my nice convenient software, without +giving something back to the free software community or giving the +same rights to your users as I do to you. + +If you really aren't the nasty kind of person I've described here, for +example if you have a good reason other than your own selfishness for +wanting to restrict distribution of your program, then perhaps you +should contact me to discuss it. + + +2. GPL-avoiding projects (MIT licence, et al) +--------------------------------------------- + +Some free software projects prefer to avoid the GPL and other licences +which force the software always to be free. Instead they use +something like the MIT X licence, which allows proprietary versions of +their software, or the in the case of some free libraries, the LGPL, +which allows proprietary applications. I have to say that I think +these people are misguided, but that doesn't mean that they don't have +a perfect right to do that. + +Some of these people think that merely writing to an interface +provided by GPL'd software will cause their program to become GPL'd +too, even if they don't distribute the GPL'd software. I don't think +this is the case. I'm perfectly happy for non-GPL'd but +GPL-compatible software to refer to adns in its source code. However, +I think that exectuables (or compiled libraries) which contain or are +dynamically linked against adns must be GPL'd; likewise executable +programs (whether compiled or in an interpreted language) which +require utilities from adns to function properly must be GPL'd. + +So, you can distribute your non-GPL'd program source which needs adns +to compile (provided it's under a GPL-compatible licence), but people +who wish to distribute binaries must do so under the terms of the GNU +GPL. This may make sense for some GPL-avoiding free software +projects; people can still make proprietary programs from your code, +provided that they make some provision to replace adns with something +whose copyright allows proprietary versions. + +However, this doesn't make much sense for the authors of LGPL'd +libraries. All I can say to them is to ask which is more important: +that their library be well-constructed and use all the best technology +available as free software, or whether it is worth degrading quality +of their library in order to allow proprietary programs to use it ! + +To help the case of LGPL'd libraries for which adns is not a vital +component - for example, a library which provides access to other +libraries so that programs which use it need only use certain parts, +I have released adns.h (just the public header file) under the LGPL as +well as the GPL. See the copyright notice in adns.h for details. +Note that this will not help you if it adns is essential to the +functioning of your library, because all programs using your library +must link against both your library and adns and so must be GPL'd. + + +For some information and views from the Free Software Foundation on +free software licensing, visit: + + Various licenses and comments about them + at http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/license-list.html + + Why you shouldn't use the Library GPL for your next library + at http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html + + +3. GPL-incompatible free software licences +------------------------------------------ + +Regrettably, there are a number of free software licences (and +semi-free licences) in existence which are not compatible with the +GPL. That is, they impose restrictions which are not present in the +GPL, and therefore distributing a whole work which contains both such +a program and a GPL'd program is not possible: either the combination +would have to be distributed under the GPL (violating the restrictions +made by the original author), or under the GPL-incompatible licence +(violating the GPL). + +I may be prepared to make exceptions for such a licence. Please +contact me at with the full text +of the GPL-incompatible licence. However, I would usually prefer it +if you could use a GPL-compatible licence for your project instead. + + +-- Ian Jackson 17.9.2000 + + +Local variables: +mode: text +End: diff --git a/changelog b/changelog index 524232d..c982726 100644 --- a/changelog +++ b/changelog @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ adns (0.10) unstable; urgency=low * adnsresfilter has --debug option. * Improvements to adnslogres (incl. new -c option) from Tony Finch. * adnslogres has --help option. - * Documentation improved somewhat. + * Documentation improved somewhat, including new GPL-vs-LGPL file. * Do not install adnstest test utility. Regression test improvements: