License for a program made with RapaGUI

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domenikov
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri May 19, 2017 10:27 pm

License for a program made with RapaGUI

Post by domenikov »

Hello! I'm writing a program who make use of RapaGUI library. It's linked creating a unique independent executable file. I want to distribute this program, and then I readen the guide who come with the library, in order to understand what license apply to my program. I read:

"5. A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library, but is designed to
work with the Library by being compiled or linked with it, is called a "work that uses the
Library". Such a work, in isolation, is not a derivative work of the Library, and therefore
falls outside the scope of this License."

Immediately after:
"However, linking a "work that uses the Library" with the Library creates an executable
that is a derivative of the Library (because it contains portions of the Library), rather than
a "work that uses the library". The executable is therefore covered by this License. Section
6 states terms for distribution of such executables."

I don't understand. I want to give only the program with no source code, but this is allowed by the LGPL license?

My work is not a library, but a program who uses the library; library is included in it, so it is possible to launch the program without providing file "rapagui.hwp" with it.

Thanks for your help!
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airsoftsoftwair
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Re: License for a program made with RapaGUI

Post by airsoftsoftwair »

If you carefully read the license you'll see that LGPL only applies to the Amiga version of RapaGUI because of some MUI classes which are LGPL and codesets.library is LGPL. So the Windows, Linux, and Mac OS versions of RapaGUI are LGPL free. As to whether it is allowed to bundle non-LGPL software with LGPL software, there are different opinions AFAIK. So if you want to be on the safe side, just don't distribute rapagui.hwp with your program but tell your users that they have to download and install RapaGUI themselves. Of course, this only applies to the Amiga platforms. On Windows, Linux, and Mac OS there is no LGPL code in RapaGUI so you can safely distribute rapagui.hwp with your program on these platforms. On the Amiga platforms you also must be careful not to link rapagui.hwp into your program otherwise your program will become LGPL. Just don't distribute rapagui.hwp with your program on Amiga compatibles and you'll be fine.
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