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Re: Q: Using GNU Autoconf/Automake with proprietary software projects
Well, as long as you don't change any of the autoconf tools - I don't see a
reason why can't you..
Of course - before everyone flames me - I'll give few examples of
applications that uses just the same way with gcc which is also, under GPL..
1. Nvidia binary only drivers (compiled with GCC at Nvidia/VA Linux)
2. Matrox binary only module (for dual head - there is a static part)
3. Acrobat Reader
4. VMWare
They all use gcc, VMWare uses autoconf tools also (as much as I understood
from one of their programmers) - and they all don't give the source for their
binaries..
--
Hetz Ben Hamo
System Administrator
Magnifire Web Systems Inc.
On Sunday 20 May 2001 13:09, Shlomi Fish wrote:
> As you may well know, GNU Autoconf and Automake are distributed under the
> GPL, which means that all the autoconf m4 macros and Bournme shell source
> code is also GPLed. At least from what I could see by examining the files.
>
> So, the question is whether it is legally possible to use autoconf for
> properiatary software, provided one does not one to expose his build tree.
> I have seen autoconf used by a properiatary product (MySQL before it
> was GPLed), but in that case it was a sourceware product, which was
> distributed with its source. I don't know what was the license of the
> source files that could see the autoconf code, but since the source code
> was available, it did not matter much to make them under a very
> open-source license.
>
> Naturally, autoconf can compile proprietary code because make and the
> shell only invoke the compiler on the source code and do not link against
> it. However, if I write a "configure.in" script - must it be distributed
> under a GPL compatible license?
>
> I noticed that some of the files that were generated in one of my own
> projects (whose license is compatible with the GPL) carried a "this is
> free software" header. They did not say that they were distributed under
> the "GNU General Public License", but they did not say otherwise either.
>
> So, can anybody knowledgable in the intricates of the GPL and autoconf,
> enlighten me?
>
> Regards,
>
> Shlomi Fish
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Shlomi Fish shlomif@t2.technion.ac.il
> Home Page: http://t2.technion.ac.il/~shlomif/
> Home E-mail: shlomif@techie.com
>
> A more experienced programmer does not make less bugs. He just realizes
> what went wrong more quickly.
>
>
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