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[Python-Dev] GPL'd python code vs Python2.6 linked against OpenSSL

"Martin v. Löwis" martin at v.loewis.de
Thu Mar 10 11:36:36 CET 2011 
> Note that your interpretation would allow Python to distribute
> arbitrarily licensed libraries and GPL programs to link with them.
> That is surely not the intent of the authors of the GPL, and in the
> past, the FSF has explicitly restricted the interpretation of "system
> library".

Note that it is ultimately up to a court to interpret these words of the
GPL, not to the FSF lawyer.

> Specifically, in
>
>   >  "Major Component", in this context, means a major essential component
>   >  (kernel, window system, and so on) of the specific operating system
>   >  (if any) on which the executable work runs, or a compiler used to
>   >  produce the work, or an object code interpreter used to run it.
>
> the word "essential" would refer to running the compiler or the
> operating system or interpreter, not to a component essential to
> running the program but in general optional for using the system.

Maybe my English is not good enough - I read that to mean that the 
compiler itself is a major component of the system (and thus doesn't
need to be distributed along with the source of the GPL'ed program).
Note that it explicitly also says that a "object code interpreter"
used to run "it" (the executable) is a major component, which would
explicitly declare Python a major component (as long as it's actually
distributed with the system).

If your interpetation was right and Python is *not* a major component,
then any GPL'ed Python application would need to distribute the source 
code of Python along with its own source code, and with that the source
of all libraries that are not major components themselves.

Also, if your interpretation was right, it wouldn't be possible to
license Java programs under the GPL, since the JVM wouldn't be a major
component, and hence you would need to distribute JVM's source code
under the terms of the GPL (which you may or may not be able to today,
but surely couldn't over many years during which many GPL'ed Java
programs were written).

Regards,
Martin
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