On Aug 6, 11:37 am, Erik Wikström <Erik-wikst...@telia.com> wrote:
> On 2007-08-06 11:27, James Kanze wrote:

> > On Aug 6, 6:30 am, "W.K." <goodyear...@126.com> wrote:

> >> I have a question about using GNU C++ proprietary software
> >> development, is this possible or against the GNU license?

> > It's hard to say. Code generated by the compiler (as a result
> > of compiling your own code) is not covered by the GPL, so
> > there's no problem there. The g++ library is covered by the
> > LGPL, and not the GPL, so code you link into your application
> > from the library doesn't taint your application. Incorporating
> > source code from the library would, however, and at least at one
> > point, there was some question concerning what this meant with
> > regards to templates. You might want to have your company
> > lawyers check this out.

> I remember reading somewhere recently that the library was GPL (but I'm
> not 100% sure, could have been LGPL) with an additional clause to
> prevent the usage of templates from contaminating your code, so there
> should be no problem there.

If it were GPL, even linking against it would contaminate the code.

I'm pretty sure that the authors of the C++ library for g++
don't want the use of templates to contaminate the code either.
But it's a situation which wasn't originally forseen in the
LGPL. I don't think there'd be a problem, but that's because I
trust the good faith of the people managing g++, and not because
I'm sure concerning any legal guarantees.

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:james.kanze:gmail.com
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