[Python-Dev] (libffi) Re: Copyright issue (original) (raw)

Bill Northcott w.northcott at unsw.edu.au
Sun Jan 29 02:14:10 CET 2006

OTOH this (from python-sig-mac) is a worry if it is correct:

s> Apparently the readline library in MacOSX isn't really readline. s> It's a renamed libedit. Not having encountered this deception s> before, Python's build procedure doesn't know to test the capability s> of readline. I suggest you just comment out the readline checks in s> setup.py.

Piet> libedit (editline) is a different library with a similar function Piet> as readline, but not compatible with it. It has a BSD license. It Piet> is often used instead of readline for non-GPL software. True. I believe it was written by Rich Salz several years ago. Python used to work with it, but eventually started using some readline functionality which libedit doesn't provide. I don't recall what that is.

If you distribute Python sources that link the GNU libreadline then
all your code will be covered by GPL, because libreadline uses the
full GPL not LGPL. That is why Apple and other commercial vendors do
not include it in their OS.

Bill Northcott

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