Re: Why code your own library?

[Pierre Phaneuf <pp@ludusdesign.com>]

Steve Baker wrote:

> LGPL let's you do that - but for GPL, you have to allow the
> user to re-link against a new version of the library himself.
> That means you either dynamically link - or provide a complete
> set of '.o' files.

No, that's the LGPL. With the GPL, even *dynamic linking* forces you to
make your program GPL too!

Note that some GNU libraries are GPL (not LGPL!), because the FSF
consider those to be a good source of the value-add of their software,
like the Readline library (which is true, the mere linking of this
library makes your program ultra-cool).

A program using the Readline library is thus forced to be released under
the GPL (the "virus" side of the GPL at work).

The LGPL allows linking, *if* you provide a mean to allow relinking
against a user-improved version of the library (meaning providing the .o
files or dynamic linking).

-- 
Pierre Phaneuf
Ludus Design, http://ludusdesign.com/
"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you.
Then they fight you. Then you win." -- Gandhi