***BOGO*** Re: Move to LGPL3

["Brian J. Tarricone" <bjt23@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lieven van der Heide wrote:
> Ok, according to the matrix on
> 
> http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl-faq.html#AllCompatibility
> 
> it's indeed not allowed, although I don't really understand why.

Mathias pointed out exactly why.  It's not that linking GPLv2-only to 
LGPLv3 violates the LGPLv3 license of the library.  Linking a GPLv2-only 
app to a LGPLv3 library actually violates the app's its own license. 
The GPL in general doesn't allow linking to libraries with more 
restrictive licenses[1], and the LGPLv3 is more restrictive than GPLv2-only.

	-brian

[1] The exception being for supposed "platform" libraries; e.g., you can 
link to Microsoft's C runtime even though it's closed source because 
it's a standard interface that can be considered part of the OS.  I 
believe Sven quoted the exact bit from the GPL in another post.


> 
> On 3/18/08, Lieven van der Heide <lievenvanderheide@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> Does that really apply for the code you link to? Afaik, if a GPL
>>  program uses an LGPL library, it doesn't relicense that library under
>>  GPL too, it merely links to it, and leaves it up to the user to make
>>  sure the library is available. If this would be the case, than it
>>  wouldn't be possible for GPL code to use something like the Windows
>>  API or DirectX either.
>>
>>  I think the restriction from the link you posted only apply to GPL
>>  libraries, but not LGPL.
>>
>>
>>  On 3/17/08, Mathias Hasselmann <mathias.hasselmann@xxxxxx> wrote:
>>  >
>>  >  Am Montag, den 17.03.2008, 00:31 +0100 schrieb Mathias Hasselmann:
>>  >
>>  > > I am really wondering what's the reason for FSF claiming, that
>>  >  > programs
>>  >  > licenced GPL-2 only are not allowed to use LGPL-3 libraries. The LGPL-3
>>  >  > allows non-free, proprietary programs to use LGPL-3 libraries, but
>>  >  > excludes free software, licensed GPL-2 only? This sounds absurd to me!
>>  >  >
>>  >  > Is the FSF spreading FUD with their license matrix? Why doesn't the
>>  >  > matrix have footnotes explaining that absurd conflict?
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > Ok, it is not FUD. It seems the problem is, that LGPLv3 imposes
>>  >  additional restrictions not found in the GPLv2. So it isn't the LGPLv3
>>  >  that forbids LGPLv3 libraries to be used by GPLv2-only programs. It is
>>  >  the GPLv2 which forbids to linking against libraries more restrictive
>>  >  than itself.
>>  >
>>  >  See http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl-faq.html#v2v3Compatibility
>>  >  for details.
>>  >
>>  >  In theory LGPLv3 allows addition of exceptions, but they have to be
>>  >  approved by all copyright holders. Doubt this will happen. So only
>>  >  chance for upgrading to a new version of the LGPL is waiting for an FSF
>>  >  approved version of the LGPL, which drops those additional restrictions
>>  >  for GPLv2-only programs.
>>  >
>>  >  Total insanity...
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >  Ciao,
>>  >  Mathias
>>  >  --
>>  >  Mathias Hasselmann <mathias.hasselmann@xxxxxx>
>>  >  Openismus GmbH: http://www.openismus.com/
>>  >  Personal Site: http://taschenorakel.de/
>>  >
>>
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