Software Engineering Stack Exchange
Software Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [gpl]

Questions about the GNU General Public License. If you intend to ask something about this license, CONSIDER NOT TO ASK HERE. Instead check if **Opensource.SE** (https://opensource.stackexchange.com) would not be more appropriate for your question than this site.

496 questions
280
votes
6 answers

Can I use GPL software in a commercial application

I have 3 questions about the GPL here: If I use GPL software in my application, but don't modify or distribute it, do I have to release my application under the GPL? What if I modify some software that my application uses. Then do I have to release…
Petah
  • 3,351
  • 3
  • 18
  • 21
104
votes
7 answers

Ship of Theseus applied to GPL - Can I relicense my program if I replace all of the derivative parts?

I translated a GPLv2 C program to Python, but found it was hard to extend as designed and rewrote significant portions of it. The program is now structurally completely different, but there are several verbatim translated functions in use. The Ship…
Landon
  • 1,013
  • 1
  • 7
  • 12
96
votes
3 answers

What does "GPL with classpath exception" mean in practice?

Oracle seems to license all their Java-related open source code under the GPL with a classpath exception. From what I understand, this seems to allow to combine these libraries with your own code into products that do not have to be covered by the…
Thilo
  • 4,736
  • 2
  • 16
  • 9
78
votes
3 answers

Can you change code distributed under the MIT license, and re-distribute it under the GPL license?

Is it possible to alter the code of the Chili plugin, which had its latest release on July 2008, and it is licensed under the MIT license, to then license it under GPL? As far I can see, there is no restriction about the new code being licensed…
apaderno
  • 4,014
  • 8
  • 42
  • 53
58
votes
3 answers

If GitHub interacts with Git, and Git is licensed under GPLv2, shouldn't GitHub be open source?

Since Git is licensed under GPLv2, and, to my understanding, GitHub interacts with Git, shouldn't the whole GitHub codebase be open-sourced in a GPL-compatible license?
GBF_Gabriel
  • 551
  • 4
  • 7
45
votes
14 answers

What do I need to do to NOT steal "Hello World" code with a GPL license?

In the project, I found a file, math.c, with a big GPL header and ... //------------------------------------------------------------------------------ /// Returns the minimum value between two integers. /// \param a First integer to compare. ///…
cnd
  • 1,874
  • 1
  • 14
  • 19
44
votes
3 answers

Can I link to a GPL library from a closed source application?

Okay, before everyone goes shouting about duplicate questions, yes, I've already seen several questions like this here. But none answer the question. If I link against a GPL-ed library without modifying that library, do I need to release my source…
john-charles
  • 668
  • 1
  • 6
  • 6
39
votes
1 answer

LGPL 2.1 vs LGPL 3.0 Advantages and Disadvantages

From what I've read, LGPL 3.0 allows you to use the license together with other licenses, more permissive about that(Not even sure about that). From https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#AllCompatibility it says that it is not compatible with…
Lilian A. Moraru
  • 661
  • 2
  • 6
  • 8
38
votes
1 answer

Using Full GPL Libraries in Software as a Service (SaaS) Models

I already searched the site, but I could only find answers relating to using GPL libraries in software that people were going to sell/distribute. In this case the answer is that they must also make the source code available. What about SaaS? That…
Daniel Scocco
  • 5,832
  • 9
  • 39
  • 47
38
votes
4 answers

Call GPL software from non-GPL software

Can I (legally) use a program that is released under GPL from another program that I'm writing and not have to respect the GPL (for the program I'm writing)? For example, I have a GUI that uses a program (which is under GPL), can I hide the code in…
Valmond
  • 501
  • 1
  • 4
  • 7
35
votes
3 answers

Forking GPL project: Do I have full rights on the new fork or still dependencies with the original owner(s)

I am considering the creation of a fork to a small project licensed under GPLv2, and I have some very specific questions I did not manage to answer in my research on various sites and forums. When I fork the code, I am forced to release the new…
Visiedo
  • 459
  • 1
  • 4
  • 5
34
votes
6 answers

What are the Pros and Cons of the GPL?

I'm looking at licensing some open source software and am looking at the GPL. What are the pros and cons of using this license?
makerofthings7
  • 6,038
  • 4
  • 39
  • 77
31
votes
1 answer

How is client-side javascript covered by the GPL?

If I used a GPL-licensed Javascript library in a web application, would I then have to offer source code of the whole site to anyone who downloaded and executed the Javascript lib?
Armand
  • 6,508
  • 4
  • 37
  • 53
31
votes
7 answers

Choosing a licence for open source projects

I've done some open source projects, and I plan to do more in the future. So far, I've released all my code under GPL, but I've read a few articles which claim GPL is too restrictive for any code to be used in corporate environment. This,…
dr Hannibal Lecter
  • 3,282
  • 1
  • 26
  • 25
29
votes
3 answers

Can I safely use an open source library in an internal closed-source project?

I m thinking of using iTextSharp, which is licensed under Affero GPL, in an internal closed-source WinForms project. No one outside my company will be using it. GPL (and Affero GPL as well) typically demands that the source be provided with the…
AngryHacker
  • 715
  • 1
  • 6
  • 11
1
2 3
…
33 34