-fdump-translation-unit considered harmful

[Stefan Strasser]

Robert Dewar schrieb:

> This is a legal judgmnent that is dubious. The mere fact of using a file
> is not clearly a factor here. The issue is whether the programs form
> some kind of unit which is not "mere aggregation". In Intergraph vs
> Bentley, where a similar issue arose, I tried to establish the idea that
> if you have a program which is only useable in conjunction with another
> program, that they form a unit. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately,
> who knows), the case settled the day before the judge issued a ruling.
> 

I understand that nobody can't be sure about this, the GPL may be 
invalid in some countries in general(btw, it was accepted by a court as 
part of a contract(Allgemeine Geschäftsbedinungen) here in germany 
recently for the first time.).
but the difference can't be a piece of software not being usable without 
GPL software. then you'd write another non-GPL software which creates 
the same file format, e.g. from an UML document, and suddenly the file 
format is a general one like JPEG.
and the gcc plugin which exports to a file is just another GPL plugin, 
like the GIF plugin for gimp. while not all GIF reading software must be 
GPL.

btw, my intention wasn't to start a legal discussion :)
main reason for the email was the interface stuff below.


-- 
Stefan Strasser