Licensquestions on GNU Software.

[Nathan Sidwell]

Johansson Mikael (mj) wrote:
> Hello.
> 
> Question 1.
> If I install a GCC-crosscompilator in a Cygwin-environment
> to compilate and link a proprietary software will this
> compilated software change from proprietary to
> "free software".
> I am using free tools under GPL to compilate and link
> a proprietary software.
That is fine. The use of the GNU tool chain will not affect
the licensing of the software being processed. The GPL only
applies if you take bits of the source of a GPL'd program
and put it into something else. [Note, various files
(like stdarg.h) within GCC have a non-GPL license, precisely
so you can #include those necessary files without having
a GPL issue.]

> Question 2.
> How do I apply licenses for unique installations of Cygwin
> and GCC crosscompilator. Do I just print a copy of GPL or 
> do I have to sign them and identify the installation?
You need do nothing. Simply install & go. The GPL only
becomes an issue if you modify the GPL'd source AND distribute
a program incorporating those modifications. If you do that,
you must provide the source of your modifications.

There is more detail about licenses at
www.fsf.org/licenses/licenses.html. You will be neither infringing
the GPL, nor forcing the GPL onto your own code, simply by using
the GNU tool chain.

[I am not a lawyer, the above does not constitute legal advice.
I am familiar as to how the GPL applies to GCC and binutils but
not to cygwin, however I believe it to be similarly licensed.]

nathan

-- 
Nathan Sidwell    ::   http://www.codesourcery.com   ::     CodeSourcery LLC
          The voices in my head said this was stupid too
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