Re: Scilab is now GPL v2 compatible - as the site claims

[Francesco Potorti`]

>> Just to clarify: The CeCILL license is explicitly compatible with the
>> GPL, which is defined as
>> 
>> "GNU GPL: means the GNU General Public License version 2 or any
>> subsequent version, as published by the Free Software Foundation
>> Inc.",
>> 
>> so actually Scilab is GPL v2 (or later) compatible. Since Octave is
>> GPL v3 (or later) I guess this means that we can take their code, but
>> they can't take ours?
>
>I think your conclusion is correct - since GPL v2 is less restrictive
>than GPL v3.

Why so?  

As far as I understand, in one direction Octave can take a Scilab
function with its license; bundle it together with the rest of Octave;
distribute the bundle under the GPL.  All this is independent of the GPL
version.

In the other direction, Scilab can probably take an Octave function with
its license; distribute both Scilab and the Octave function together,
but only as long as they are not linked together.  For example, a .m
file would be okay, but I think an .oct file would not.

Comments, corrections?

-- 
Francesco Potortì (ricercatore)        Voice: +39 050 315 3058 (op.2111)
ISTI - Area della ricerca CNR          Fax:   +39 050 315 2040
via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa         Email: address@hidden
(entrance 20, 1st floor, room C71)     Web:   http://fly.isti.cnr.it/