Re: LPGL (was "GCC2 merging")

[kenner at vlsi1 dot ultra dot nyu dot edu (Richard Kenner)]

    I agree completely.  The LGPL says that an object file that uses large
    inlines (or, presumably, templates) must be distributed under the terms of
    Section 6, which says that you must

    But if the substance of the library is in the form of inlines or templates,
    this doesn't make any sense, as there isn't anything to link against; it's
    all emitted into the object code along with the library user's code.

    I would like to see a variant of the LGPL which does not place any
    requirements on a "work that uses the Library".  I want to protect the
    library itself, but have the legal requirements on a program that uses
    the library be the same as on a program that is compiled with gcc;
    namely, none.

    This is necessary for the C++ standard library, to make g++ a viable
    alternative to proprietary compilers.  This is currently achieved by
    using the libgcc exception to the GPL, but I would rather have an
    LGPL-based license so that users are not required to use gcc.

Users certainly are not required to use GCC for that exception and I
agree that using the GPL with such an exception is the way to go.
GNAT's library has been distributed with the following copyright banner,
which should work perfectly well for tthe case at hand:

-- GNAT is free software;  you can  redistribute it  and/or modify it under --
-- terms of the  GNU General Public License as published  by the Free Soft- --
-- ware  Foundation;  either version 2,  or (at your option) any later ver- --
-- sion.  GNAT is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITH- --
-- OUT ANY WARRANTY;  without even the  implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY --
-- or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License --
-- for  more details.  You should have  received  a copy of the GNU General --
-- Public License  distributed with GNAT;  see file COPYING.  If not, write --
-- to  the Free Software Foundation,  59 Temple Place - Suite 330,  Boston, --
-- MA 02111-1307, USA.                                                      --
--                                                                          --
-- As a special exception,  if other files  instantiate  generics from this --
-- unit, or you link  this unit with other files  to produce an executable, --
-- this  unit  does not  by itself cause  the resulting  executable  to  be --
-- covered  by the  GNU  General  Public  License.  This exception does not --
-- however invalidate  any other reasons why  the executable file  might be --
-- covered by the  GNU Public License.                                      --