libstdc++ licensing question

[Dan Kegel]

I stand corrected.  Yes, the intent of the GNU licenses is
to empower the user to fix bugs in the GNU-licensed software
and then run the fixed application.  That may mean including
a build script, even...
- Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: Nathan Myers
To: libstdc++@gcc.gnu.org
Sent: 7/23/2002 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: libstdc++ licensing question

On Tue, Jul 23, 2002 at 10:53:01AM -0700, dank@kegel.com wrote:
> Michael Fimin wrote:
> > Hi, I have a question regarding GCC standard C++ library licensing.
> > 
> > I going to use libstdc++ in my comercial project.
> > My program will not be covered by GPL license (the source code won't
be
> > provided) and I'm going to distribute libstdc++.so (Solaris version)

> > with my program. Is this legal?
> 
> Yes, it's legal.  
> See http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/17_intro/license.html

Wrong.   He's not just talking about distributing a program linked
against somebody else's copy of the library, he's talking about 
distributing the library itself.  

Practically speaking, the requirement is that a user of his program
has to be equipped to compile a replacement libstdc++ that will link 
and run with his program.

(Unfortunately there is a loophole in the license: if he uses an
altered compiler to build his program and the library, a user may
not be equipped to generate a compatible library image.  I wonder
what can be done to close that loophole.)

Nathan Myers
ncm at cantrip dot org