FreeTDS Development Group

[ZIGLIO Frediano <Frediano.Ziglio AT vodafoneomnitel.it>]

> 
> On Fri, Sep 27, 2002 at 10:01:23AM -0400, Brian Bruns wrote:
> > > tsql.c currently contains an LGPL license.  But it links 
> with readline (if
> > > installed), which I believe is enough to infect it with 
> the full GPL.
> > > Should the license on this file be updated?
> 
> > Technically you have LGPL tsql source + GPL readline = GPL 
> tsql executable
> > So, we don't necessarily have to change the license of the 
> tsql source,
> > just accept that the binary is under the provision of the 
> GPL, IANAL.
> 
> > That said, it was my intention for tsql to be GPL and I 
> munged it.  How
> > many significant contributors do we have?  Not more than 
> one or two beyond
> > myself I'm sure, do we have buy-in to do the license change?
> 
> Hmmm.  I was about to say that the LGPL already grants 
> explicit approval
> of converting to GPL, but I just realized there's a problem with tsql
> binaries:
> 
> $ ldd src/apps/.libs/tsql 
>         libreadline.so.4 => /lib/libreadline.so.4 (0x40027000)
>         libtds.so.1 => /usr/lib/libtds.so.1 (0x40050000)
>         libnsl.so.1 => /lib/libnsl.so.1 (0x40069000)
>         libssl.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.6 (0x4007d000)
>         libcrypto.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.6 (0x400a9000)
>         libc.so.6 => /lib/libc.so.6 (0x40163000)
>         libncurses.so.5 => /lib/libncurses.so.5 (0x4027e000)
>         libdl.so.2 => /lib/libdl.so.2 (0x402bd000)
>         /lib/ld-linux.so.2 => /lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0x40000000)
> 
> libreadline is GPL, and libssl is GPL-incompatible, so this 
> binary is not
> redistributable.  Unfortunately, I just checked sqsh, and it 
> has the same
> problem.  I'm going to see how feasible it is to have freetds link
> against gnutls instead of openssl.  The other option is to 
> use editline
> instead of readline.
> 

>From OpenSSL FAQ.

2. Can I use OpenSSL with GPL software?
On many systems including the major Linux and BSD distributions, yes (the
GPL does not place restrictions on using libraries that are part of the
normal operating system distribution). 

[my comment] So with Linux/FreeBSD no problem...

On other systems, the situation is less clear. Some GPL software copyright
holders claim that you infringe on their rights if you use OpenSSL with
their software on operating systems that don't normally include OpenSSL. 

If you develop open source software that uses OpenSSL, you may find it
useful to choose an other license than the GPL, or state explicitly that
"This program is released under the GPL with the additional exemption that
compiling, linking, and/or using OpenSSL is allowed." If you are using GPL
software developed by others, you may want to ask the copyright holder for
permission to use their software with OpenSSL. 

[my comment] ????

> Steve Langasek
> postmodern programmer
> 

freddy77

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