[OctDev] No symbolic package in future (Windows/VC++) releases

[Michael Goffioul]

On Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 6:23 PM, John W. Eaton <jwe at octave.org> wrote:
> I can't see how the quoted clause implies this restriction.
>
> My understanding is that the quoted clause from the GPL is intended to
> allow you to link with "system components" which might be distributed
> under GPL-incompatible terms and for which there is no corresponding
> source code.  CLN and GiNaC are not system components that are
> normally distributed with the major components of any operating
> system, so the exception granted by this clause does not apply, so to
> link GiNaC and CLN with Octave, it must be possible to distribute all
> of the parts under terms that are compatible with the GPL.

The key point in the complain is whether I'm allowed by GPL to
ship VC++ runtime libs and GPLv2 software (in this case CLN)
bundled into the same installer. The CLN author claims I'm
explicitely not allowed to do it due to the "unless that component
itself accompanies the executable" statement.

So it's not the fact that CLN is linked against VC++ libs that is
at the origin of the claim, but the fact that I'm shipping them
together. He would be fine with separate distribution. I find this
a little bit picky and just makes user's life more complicated.

I don't want to enter a cat and mouse chasing game
(no will, no time) and prefer not to ship symbolic package.

Bye,
Michael.