On Wed, Feb 16 2011, Tom Lane wrote: > Stephen Frost <sfr...@snowman.net> writes: >> * Tom Lane (t...@sss.pgh.pa.us) wrote: >>> In particular, getting rid of use of OpenSSL would not be sufficient >>> to satisfy the most rabid GPL partisans that we were in compliance. > >> I've never heard anyone argue that position, don't believe anyone would, >> and certainly don't agree with it. > > [ shrug ... ] Check the Postgres archives, from back around 2000 if > memory serves. > > regards, tom lane
Or he could just read this essay from the FSF website: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html It basically tries to persuade developers to create GPLed libraries in cases where the library provides services that are not available in proprietary libraries. The idea is to *force* developers to use the GPL if they want to use the library. Here's a relevant quote that actually uses readline as an example: However, when a library provides a significant unique capability, like GNU Readline, that's a horse of a different color. The Readline library implements input editing and history for interactive programs, and that's a facility not generally available elsewhere. Releasing it under the GPL and limiting its use to free programs gives our community a real boost. At least one application program is free software today specifically because that was necessary for using Readline. If we amass a collection of powerful GPL-covered libraries that have no parallel available to proprietary software, they will provide a range of useful modules to serve as building blocks in new free programs. This will be a significant advantage for further free software development, and some projects will decide to make software free in order to use these libraries. University projects can easily be influenced; nowadays, as companies begin to consider making software free, even some commercial projects can be influenced in this way. IANAL, but it is hard to recommend relying on a reading of the GPL that is inconsistent with the folks that wrote the license. Jason -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
