From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 22349 invoked by alias); 16 Jun 2005 16:30:34 -0000 Mailing-List: contact cygwin-licensing-help@cygwin.com; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Subscribe: List-Post: List-Help: , Sender: cygwin-licensing-owner@cygwin.com Received: (qmail 20307 invoked by uid 22791); 16 Jun 2005 16:29:08 -0000 From: "Dave Korn" To: "'David E. Meier'" , Subject: RE: The term _linking_ in the licence Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 16:30:00 -0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook, Build 11.0.6353 In-Reply-To: <14363.193.17.199.5.1118934774.squirrel@193.17.199.5> Thread-Index: AcVyh1MV8StDev6PQ7q5ggQQJuMJwQACJLxA X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441 Message-ID: X-OriginalArrivalTime: 16 Jun 2005 16:29:06.0354 (UTC) FILETIME=[83E3F920:01C57290] X-SW-Source: 2005-q2/txt/msg00002.txt.bz2 ----Original Message---- >From: David E. Meier >Sent: 16 June 2005 16:13 > Hi list, > > I am confused about the GPL licence. Both suggested sites for reading > before posting to this list about licencing only mention 'linking' with > other programs. > > I face the following siuation: > > I have written a program in C# that makes use of tools like ssh, rsync and > some bash shell built-ins. The C# program is the main .exe and does not > link to any of the GPL-programs while building and therefore the C# binary > does not contain any cygwin code. Bear in mind there's also such a thing as runtime linking... If you LoadLibrary ("cygwin1.dll") and GetProcAddress a function and call it, that counts as linking and your app must be GPL'd. >The GPL-exe's are called as system calls at runtime via the cmd.exe. > > Does the C# program need to be redistributed under the GPL as well? However, as Igor said, as long as the executables and process spaces are completely separate, you will have no problem. The GPL spreads out within a single process space, but it is not conveyed across IPC mechanisms! And also, bear in mind that if you're distributing the ssh/rsync/bash binaries along with your app, you need to provide (or offer to provide) the sources for them. cheers, DaveK -- Can't think of a witty .sigline today....