🚀 go-pugleaf

    I raised this question with the Cygnus guys at the Sun User show
   in San Jose, and they assured me that if I build a product using
   GNU stuff, then I have to ship the src. *BUT* I do not have to ship
   the src to my application. This has been checked out by various
   legal eagles including those of a certain large (though getting smaller :-)
   computer company.

Given that I answered this question a few times at the SUG show, this may
be my answer that got munged somewhere along the line .  Let me clarify the
above.

If you build your product using GCC, or G++, or GAS, or whatever, this does
not force you to ship sources to anything (not gcc, not your product).

If you use the source code for gcc (or g++ or gas or emacs) in your
product, then you *do* need to ship the sources for your product.


If object code compiled from "copylefted" source code is linked into your
application, then your application falls under the version of the GPL
associated with the given source code (the normal GPL or the Library GPL).
This happens if you are, for example, writing a new front end for GCC, or
porting GAS to a new processor.  

Compiling a program with gcc does not alter the copyright status of that
program.  If your code is proprietary, or if it is PD, or anywhere in
between, you can still use gcc as a compiler.  

I hope this makes things a little more clear.  

  david d 'zoo' zuhn |    There is great disorder under the heavens,
    cygnus support   |         and the situation is excellent.
    zoo@cygnus.com   |