From: Bill Kelly <billk@...>
Date: 2004-04-27T09:57:02+09:00
Subject: Re: Distributing Ruby DLL

Hi,

>  I'm a Ruby user, not a Ruby developer :))) I  just want to
> incorporate Ruby as a scripting language in a (freeware) spam
> processor.
>
> I don't know Onigurama. I installed Ruby 1.6.8 and 1.8.1 (the latter DLL is
> not as good as the 1.6.8 one, so I'd prefer 1.6.8). I would not like to
> compile Ruby myself if I can help it. Ruby is shipped with a DLL for
> Windows, and I don't know which parts are in the DLL yet.

[Std disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer.....]

Since your project is freeware, if you were to release your project
under Ruby's open source license, or the GPL, then I would expect all
the distribution requirements associated with the DLL would be
automatically satisfied.

If you don't want to release it open source, I still think it's
OK to distribute the DLL.  The non-Oniguruma regex engine in
Ruby is LGPL.  (GNU Lesser Public License).  As I understand
the LGPL, its requirements would be met by your providing a
link to a website, in your documentation, where the user could
download the ruby source, and rebuild the DLL themselves if
they wanted to.  My understanding of the LGPL is that it requires
that the end user be able to freely obtain the source code 
covered by the LGPL (ruby's regex.c) and that the end user be
able to recompile and re-link such that they are able to make
changes to the LGPL part of the code, and use their modified
version with your program.  

That's why I think distributing the ruby DLL with your app should
be no problem.  Because the user can always download the ruby
source (including the LGPL regex.c) and make their own changes,
recompile it, and use their new DLL with your program instead of
the one you shipped.  I believe that satisfies the LGPL's 
requirements...........

That said, I could be wrong.  That's how I understand it...
If anyone knows differently, please do correct me...


Regards,

Bill