From: "H. Simpson" Date: 2004-08-06T04:41:28+09:00 Subject: Re: Amazing GUI toolkit with visual designer & Ruby Integration Richard Lyman wrote: > Would you mind me asking what changes had to be made that required > modification of the library? > > It seems that that is the greatest thing stopping you from using FOX - > a clause in the license about a modified library. > > (As a side note - you do know that FOX has an addendum to the LGPL... > you'd still get caught with the 'modified copy of the library' clause, > but that's why I'm asking how vital it really is to modify the > library) > > The reason I ask is because I myself am unsure of the 'details' of the > modified LGPL that FOX is released under, and would be worried if I > ever wanted to modify the FOX library to sell a product. > > I've asked Jeroen and Lyle before, and they've said that all they > would require of me was to credit the creators (them) and reference > their products (URL) in my applications (which I do) - and I could > build applications using FOX and FXRuby to be sold without legal > concerns. > > I believe Jeroen and Lyle both have the rights to their respective > pieces of software, and could then give you special permission to > violate the license... couldn't they? (Not that they would, but they > could...) > > From a freely admitted slightly ignorant LGPList, > -Rich > > > On Fri, 6 Aug 2004 02:51:39 +0900, H. Simpson > wrote: > >>While I'm grateful for Fox-Toolkit and FXRuby too, I cannot use it due >>to licensing issues. >> >>To clarify, I'm switching from Fox-Toolkit to FLTK due initially to >>licensing reasons on a commercial project. >> >>I don't mind giving away changes I make to Fox-Toolkit but being >>required to give away the commercial application source that statically >>links to a modified Fox-Toolkit is something that bars me from using it. >> I'm not saying the license is stupid or wrong--I just cannot use it >>under those terms on my non-hobby projects. >> >>I found issues/limitations that require me to modify Fox-Toolkit (not >>just subclasses) on Windows platforms. With FLTK, I found that I don't >>need to make changes to FLTK itself. And even if I did later on, I >>don't have to give away commercial applications that statically link to >>the modified FLTK--I only need to give back the changes I make to FLTK >>(if any) which is nice. >> >>On my non-commercial project, the reasons for switching have nothing to >>do with licensing. I simply find myself MUCH more productive, having >>fun doing GUI work with FLTK--something that ruby does for me compared >>to other languages. Just like ruby, there are people who will have more >>fun and be more productive with other tools so I can't say whether >>anyone else should switch. >> >>Most of us passionate about Ruby don't go around bashing other languages >>(yes some do). But those of use who sing Ruby's praises certainly don't >>want to be misunderstood as claiming "everything else sucks". The same >>holds true here: I'm simply singing the praises of a wonderful GUI >>toolkit+designer I recently started using after passing it up initially >>due to misperceptions. I'm not bashing the alternatives or my previous >>choice. >> >> > I'm not a lawyer so this post is just an opinion from an unqualified stranger. GPL and LGPL is very dangerous to closed-source commercial projects unless you fully understand the license and know exactly what you are doing. Regarding Fox-Toolkit, look at the bottom of their license page and read the explanation the Fox-Toolkit LGPL Addendum: http://www.fox-toolkit.org/license.html "Static linking with a modified copy of the Library, however, would deny the community the benefit of these modifications, as these modifications would now be locked up inside a closed binary executable, so therefore we must insist on the original GNU Lesser General Public License when the Library has been modified." *TRANSLATION:* if you modify Fox-Toolkit and statically link it to your multi-million dollar commercial application, then you must release not only the changes to Fox-Toolkit but your commercial application too in order to comply with the terms of the license! Now for comparison, look at the FLTK exceptions to their LGPL license: http://www.fltk.org/COPYING.php If anyone tells you that GPL and LGPL