FreeTDS Development Group

[Steve Langasek <vorlon AT netexpress.net>]

On Wed, Jan 16, 2002 at 02:40:02PM -0500, Brian Bruns wrote:
> FreeTDS is mostly LGPL'ed (with the exception of the pooling server and
> some odds and ends that are GPL).  So, if they made changes to the
> libraries proper then their customers are entitled to those source code
> changes.

> I'm having difficultly finding this product on their site, got a link?

Actually, the terms of the LGPL 2.0 (which the current version of 
FreeTDS is licensed under) say:

    2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Library or any portion
  of it, thus forming a work based on the Library, and copy and
  distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
  above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:

  [...]

      c) You must cause the whole of the work to be licensed at no
      charge to all third parties under the terms of this License.

Which means that if they've made any changes to the libraries, they're 
actually obligated to make the modified source available to /everyone/ 
(including us).  I was a bit surprised when I read this clause, which is
not present in the GPL; presumably it's a trade-off for allowing
non-free applications to link against LGPL code.

Cheers,
Steve Langasek
postmodern programmer

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