[Python-Dev] VC 7.1 maintenance? (original) (raw)

Stephen J. Turnbull stephen at xemacs.org
Mon Jul 5 07:27:09 CEST 2004

"Martin" == Martin v Löwis <martin at v.loewis.de> writes:

Martin> Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:

>> They must be assuming that the run-time library is "compiler
>> helper" stuff, eg-but-not-limited-to code to handle long long
>> ints and set up the C++ exception and global constructors, etc.
>> So msvcrt should be fine.  The interpretation is that this is
>> code whose presence is mandated in one form or another by the
>> language definition.

Martin> I think the reasoning is different: in order to run
Martin> software, you need an operating system. It is ok if free
Martin> software doesn't ship with its own operating system, but
Martin> if users of the software already have an operating
Martin> system. Likewise, it is ok if free software doesn't ship
Martin> with the compiler to compile it - users who want to build
Martin> the software are expected to obtain a copy of the
Martin> compiler.

No. I've never seen either rms or Eben Moglen admit such reasoning that I know of (of course one or both may have approved the FAQ, but I don't know that). The operating system is a specific exception written into the GPL for those reasons, but that doesn't mean the logic can be extended to compilers at the licensee's option.

There is never a problem with building GPL sources. You are always permitted to do that, and as far as the GPL is concerned, you may link with anything (although I've heard that some MSFT licenses prohibit the reverse). What is restricted by the GPL is redistribution of the product of linking (which includes source that is "intended" to be linked).

Thus, under copyright law, the binary may be a derivative of the runtime library. Determining that is a delicate matter. If you ship only source which does not depend on extensions in the runtime, your logic is correct.

However, if you distribute Python binaries that require that DLL, your logic that users already have it if they're going to build Python is irrelevant. Isn't distribution of binaries, including the runtime DLL, what is being discussed here?

-- Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp University of Tsukuba Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN Ask not how you can "do" free software business; ask what your business can "do for" free software.

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