Licensquestions on GNU Software.

[E. Weddington]

On 24 Jun 2003 at 19:47, Alexandre Oliva wrote:

> On Jun 24, 2003, Nathan Sidwell <nathan@codesourcery.com> wrote:
> 
> >> 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.
> 
> Not that fast.  Even though GCC doesn't propagate freedom to programs
> it compiles, not even by means of libgcc and its other run-time
> libraries, because of the run-time exception to their licenses, the
> Cygwin run-time library has no such run-time exception, i.e., it's
> strictly GPL, and therefore any executable linked with the Cygwin
> library could be considered a derived work, and therefore be subject
> to the rules imposed by the GNU GPL on derived works, namely, being
> covered by the GNU GPL as well.  The copyright holders of Cygwin may
> license it to you under different licenses, though.
> 

... and the fastest way to tell if your program is linked to the Cygwin run-
time library (cygwin1.dll) is to use the program cygcheck that comes with 
Cygwin. It will show a listing of the DLLs that your program is dependent 
on. If you have cygwin1.dll listed, then it becomes a derived work, hence 
GNU GPL (unless licensed otherwise).

Eric Weddington