Przemyslaw Czerpak wrote:
On Sat, 14 Mar 2009, Phil Barnett wrote:
Hi Phil,
The reason for the Harbour exception was so that we could include the
macro compiler inside distributed executables without violating the GPL.
Can you explain it?
The macro compiler code is on exactly the same license as rest of Harbour
HVM/RTL code.
I do not ubnderstand why it needs some special excpetion and other things
not.
Without the exception, I can't write propprietary code and release my
executable as non GPL because it's always linked to GPL code which makes my
executable subject to the GPL. The exception states that if I include the
macro compiler inside my otherwise nonGPL code, it does not make my code
GPL.
Thank you very much. I knew about it.
My question was why you were talking about macro compiler.
What is the difference bvetween macro compiler and other
Harbour code like HVM or RTL.
If I recall correctly, we also have a part of the exception that excludes
the macro compiler from being wrapped and being presented under a
copyright. This keeps our work safe from someone wrapping it and invoking
the exception. That is the exception to our exception. Without going back
and looking at the verbiage I don't recall if that actually made it in. It
was certainly discussed.
Maybe I'm missing sth but whole macro compiler code seems to be on the
same license as other Harbour runtime libraries.
Only part of Harbour compiler has different license. To be precises these
files does not contain Harbour exception and use pure GPL license:
source/compiler/cmdcheck.c
source/compiler/genc.c
source/compiler/gencobj.c
source/compiler/genhrb.c
source/compiler/harbour.y
source/compiler/hbfunchk.c
source/compiler/hbgenerr.c
source/compiler/hbident.c
source/compiler/hbmain.c
And I still want to change it.
I would like to allow using Harbour compiler library in proprietary code
but also add protection against creating some closed source compiler clones.
Here pure LGPL seems to be much better for me. I'd only add one point:
any modification/extensions to compiler code should be available in
source (.diff) form at some public forums or sent to Harbour-devel list.
I can rewrite above code (few things even have to be rewritten if we want
to add some extensions) but personally I'd prefer to try to contact with
developers who worked on this code and ask about their permission to change
the license to LGPL (is possible with above exception) but it's not strictly
necessary.
LGPL only protects from GPL for dynamically linked code. If you staticly
link LGPL, it becomes GPL and has the problem mentioned before.
We spent months working out the license. I have the archives if we need
to study.
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