[vorbis] Vorbis licensing...

[Andy Isaacson]

Sorry to enter in this discussion so late, but I wanted to point out
something I haven't seen addressed by anyone else:

On Fri, Oct 27, 2000 at 10:50:53AM +1000, Michael Smith wrote:
> >If you use GPL code in your application, your application mustu also be
> >GPL.  With the LGPL you may use the LGPLed code as long as it's
> >dynamically linked. Ie, if the LGPLed code is a dll, the DLL must be
> >LGPL, but the rest of the app that links in the DLL does not need to be.
> 
> Jack! This is wrong. The LGPL allows you to link a library into your
> program. It makes no distinction (and no distinction can meaningfully be
> made, really) between static and dynamic linking. i.e. You may link the
> library into your program if you wish. You may ALSO use a DLL, but that's
> not required.
> 
> The key thing (either way) is that if you modify the library, you must
> provide source to your modifications. How it is actually linked doesn't
> matter either way. At all.
> 
> So, in reply to the original question - yes, you may link libvorbis against
> your commercial product, or link it as a DLL (your choice). If you make any
> changes to the library, you must provide source. 

My understanding of the LGPL is that you must also allow the user to
replace the version of the library which you provide with a modified
version.  In modern practice, this means you should only distribute
LGPL libraries as dynamic link objects and link them at runtime; this
makes it easy for the user to replace it.

Back in the old days, when not everybody had dynamically linked
libaries, it was suggested that you distribute a link kit containing
all the .o's (or perhaps a single .a or similar) which could be linked
with the LGPL library. [1]

The purpose of this restriction, as I understand it, is to allow the
user to fix problems in the LGPLed portion of your system.

Paragraph 6(b) of the Gnu Lesser Public License appears to be the part
of the license that attempts to require what I describe above, but the
only place I can find it mentioned explicitly is in the preamble,
paragraph 14 (two above the "TERMS AND CONDITIONS" heading).

Ref: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.html

[1] This would still be necessary on systems which still lack dynamic
    linking, such as some embedded platforms or Cray supercomputers.
    ("3% overhead!?  Unacceptable!")

-andy

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