Which license to use for MFC based software?

[Carsten Kuckuk]

Nick,

Thank you for your reply. In the meantime I went to the GPL FAQ page
(which I should have done before posting here) and found this
paragraph which supports your interpretations:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WindowsRuntimeAndGPL
[..]
I'm writing a Windows application with Microsoft Visual C++ (or Visual
Basic) and I will be releasing it under the GPL. Is dynamically
linking my program with the Visual C++ (or Visual Basic) run-time
library permitted under the GPL?

Yes, because that run-time library normally accompanies the compiler
or interpreter you are using.
[..]

Technically, there's no distinction between the C runtime libraries
(MSVCRT.DLL) and the MFC, so it clearly seems to be the intention of
the GPL to cover this case. I only need to take care not to distribute
the MFC DLL with my own application.

Carsten

Guten Tag Nick Moffitt,

am Dienstag, 1. Juni 2004 um 19:36 schrieben Sie:

NM> begin  Carsten Kuckuk  quotation:
>> As far as I understand, I can't use the GPL for any "open source"
>> project I write using Microsoft's MFC. Which alternatives do I have
>> regarding licenses, that come as close as possible to GPLing my own
>> sources?

NM> 	You may grant special exception to the GPL to allow linkage
NM> with the MFC libraries.  It may not be necessary, since the GPL
NM> already says:

NM> 	"However, as a special exception, the source code distributed
NM> 	need not include anything that is normally distributed (in
NM> 	either source or binary form) with the major components
NM> 	(compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on which
NM> 	the executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies
NM> 	the executable."

NM> But you ought to be clear.  

NM> 	The GPL allows you to grant permission to do new things, but
NM> won't allow you to put new restrictions on users.  See GPL section 6.




-- 
Mit freundlichen Grüssen
Carsten Kuckuk
mailto:ck at kuckuk.com


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