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Distribution of GNU tools with commercial packages


We have some questions about using and distributing of GNU software. 
We develop a software development toolkit for an embedded controller.
The software package should contain: C compiler, linker, loader,
debugger. The C compiler and loader were developed without any use of
GNU tools and the following questions concern the linker and debugger.

We would like to offer to our customers a precompiled version of all
tools included in the package. Certainly, our customers have to pay for
the compiler and loader ONLY (and not for GNU parts of software) and the
customers will be extra informed about it. We can also put sources of
the used GNU tools on the distribution CD.

Our compiler can generate some popular object file formats like coff,
ELF, etc. and we would like to recommend to our customers the using the
GNU linker(ld). It will be invoked as en external program from our
development environment.
QUESTION: Is it possible to deliver the GNU linker(ld) in such a
software package without making free the sources of our compiler and
loader?

The similar question is to be asked about the GNU debugger, that we
would also like to advise to our users. The situation with debugger is a
little bit more complicated. We should integrate the remote procedures
for our controller into GNU debugger(gdb). Will be this integrating of
the remote debugging support for our controller considered as the
changing of gdb sources? Because a communication
protocol is very good place for undesirable accesses into the embedded
systems, it is very important for our customers to keep secret the
protocol and the sources of the remote procedures. Are there any
special regulations for this case? Is it possible not to put these
changes of GDB sources under
GPL? 

We appreciate all efforts in supporting of free software very much and
we woudn't like to hurt any licenses or rules, therefore we ask you to
inform us not only to the problems mentioned above, but also to other
possible misunderstandings of GPL from our side.

Thank you in advance,
Best Regards,
Leo Romanoff


We have some questions about using and distributing of GNU software. 
We develop a software development toolkit for an embedded controller.
The software package should contain: C compiler, linker, loader,
debugger. The C compiler and loader were developed without any use of
GNU tools and the following questions concern the linker and debugger.

We would like to offer to our customers a precompiled version of all
tools included in the package. Certainly, our customers have to pay for
the compiler and loader ONLY (and not for GNU parts of software) and the
customers will be extra informed about it. We can also put sources of
the used GNU tools on the distribution CD.

Our compiler can generate some popular object file formats like coff,
ELF, etc. and we would like to recommend to our customers the using the
GNU linker(ld). It will be invoked as en external program from our
development environment.
QUESTION: Is it possible to deliver the GNU linker(ld) in such a
software package without making free the sources of our compiler and
loader?

The similar question is to be asked about the GNU debugger, that we
would also like to advise to our users. The situation with debugger is a
little bit more complicated. We should integrate the remote procedures
for our controller into GNU debugger(gdb). Will be this integrating of
the remote debugging support for our controller considered as the
changing of gdb sources? Because a communication
protocol is very good place for undesirable accesses into the embedded
systems, it is very important for our customers to keep secret the
protocol and the sources of the remote procedures. Are there any
special regulations for this case? Is it possible not to put these
changes of GDB sources under
GPL? 

We appreciate all efforts in supporting of free software very much and
we woudn't like to hurt any licenses or rules, therefore we ask you to
inform us not only to the problems mentioned above, but also to other
possible misunderstandings of GPL from our side.

Thank you in advance,
Best Regards,
Leo Romanoff



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