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SubjectRe: Linus Speaks About KDE-Bashing
On Sat, 11 Jul 1998, Tim Smith wrote:

> At least one major Linux distribution includes Qt as part of the system,
Because Linux distributions are not pure OS distributions.
I do not think that you consider any library that comes on Linux CD a
system library. Examples: librpm, libtcl, libtk, libppm, libpq++.

And as anybody can produce a Linux distribution, that would still
circumvent GPL 100%. If you want to make a commercial gcc, just make
a commercial library, distribute it with a Linux kernel on one CD and link
the gcc against it.

> and so a reasonable case could be made that Qt falls under the same
> exception on that Linux distribution as Motif does. FSF thinks that this
> is not so, but has not been able to give any good reason for this.
And so the GPL copylefts held by the FSF are to be interpreted this way.

> My opinion is that people had better get used to GPL'ed code being used
> with proprietary code, because someday, object-oriented component-based
> development will actually become widespread and useful. If the interfaces
> standardize, end users will end up mixing GPL'ed and non-GPL'ed components
> all over the place. There are hints of this in the Windows world already
> with Microsoft's OLE. Similary things could happen with CORBA in the Unix
> world.
The problem is not about interfaces here. The problem is making a free
software product depending 100% upon a closed one, that does not fullfil
the GPL. The GPL explicitly tells you that you may not cut the rights you
got from your fellow users. Making it work with Qt, is cutting the rights
of your fellow users, because they loose some rights (to modify
& distribute, etc.) for the vital part of the GUI library.
> ps: this discussion would probably be more appropriate for gnu.misc.discuss
> or comp.os.linux.advocacy, rather than the Linux Kernel list (and probably
It is not, because it touches the core of the Linux believes, and Mr.
Torvalds expressed very worrysome ideas.

Andreas



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