> Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2025 03:43:29 -0700 (PDT) > Cc: gcc@gcc.gnu.org, jwakely....@gmail.com, qifan.z...@xpeedic.com > From: ken...@adacore.com (Richard Kenner) > > > > Yes, but the discussion wasn't about "as a separate file", but as a file > > > that's part of the distribution of another program. > > > > A shared library is always a separate file. > > Yes, of course. What I meant is that it's not *being distributed > separately*. For example, it can be in the same tarball with the program. > So it's considered one unit for GPL purposes. That's not the case that > I think your quote was contemplating.
I don't see how distributing in the same tarball would solve the problem. Suppose I'd decide to distribute a Windows build of Emacs together with GNU Grep (e.g., because MS-Windows systems don't come with Grep OOTB, whereas Emacs users need Grep for several of its features). I would then make a single tarball including both Emacs- and Grep-related files. Does that mean that I'm not under an obligation to provide source code of _both_ Emacs and Grep? I don't think so.
