beware GNU Smalltalk if you want to contribute to squeak

Paolo Bonzini bonzini at gnu.org
Thu Jan 10 22:47:42 UTC 2008


> LGPL code is completely unacceptable for inclusion in the main Squeak 
> distribution, and doubly so if it is code that the FSF holds the 
> copyright to.  RMS was unwilling to elaborate on the interpretation of 
> the LGPL for image-based systems such as Squeak.  In his view, including 
> a single LGPL class makes the entire image into a "derived work" that 
> can only be redistributed subject to the restrictions of the LGPL.

Do you have a pointer?  I believe this is true for the GPL, but not for 
the LGPL.  I can tell you that it was pretty hard to convince him to 
adopt the LGPL because he wanted to understand the ins and outs -- 
because there *is* a difference: if it were as you said, GPL or LGPL 
would be completely the same.  It's been a few years ago though, so 
neither of us has those e-mails.

Anyway LGPL code is not compatible with MIT, so it is completely 
unacceptable for inclusion in Squeak core independent of who is the 
copyright holder.

Paolo




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