RE: [Gcl-devel] Re: [gnu.org #48656] Re: GCL compliance with GNU GPL

[Mike Thomas]

Hi all.

| The task then remains of how to clearly indicate this situation in the
| relevant COPYING files and on the website.
|
|
| Comments and corrections most welcome.

Other (not necessarily all other) relevant items include the optional use of
the BFD library (GPL as I understand it) for linking and extracts from the
Emacs source tree for saving and loading executable images (also GPL).

BFD can be handled, in the terms that Richard seems to be proposing, by
optionally using the old GCL custom relocation code (GCL is then licenced as
LGPL) or using BFD linking (GCL licenced as GPL).  It may also be that BFD
could be linked as a dynamic library, but I personally feel that this leads
to legal and/or ethical grey areas, not to mention dependence on whatever
BFD library version happens to be sitting on any given system, which I don't
like from a software engineering design viewpoint.

With respect to the Emacs code extracts, I can't see any alternative to GCL
being licenced as GPL without getting a waiver or authorisation to use LGPL
from the copyright holders.

Cheers

Mike Thomas.