[plug] KDE licence (was Debian was Mandrake)

[Christian]

Greg Mildenhall wrote:
> > Yes it does. I quote once again from the GNU license page:
> > "However, if you have written a program that uses Qt, and you want to
> > release your program under the GNU GPL, you can easily do that. "
> IF. YOU. HAVE. WRITTEN.
> They _did_not_write_the_code_ so this does not apply to them.

Most of us picked this up quite a while ago. :)

> > I don't see any ambiguity in that statement. It clearly says you can
> > release GPL code which links in QT. Seems pretty clear. It doesn't say
> > anything about a license similar to GPL it says GNU GPL.
> 
> OK, the text from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html
> one final time.
> # You can resolve the conflict for your program by adding a notice like
> # this to it:
> #        As a special exception, you have permission to link this program
> #        with the Qt library and distribute executables, as long as you
> #        follow the requirements of the GNU GPL in regard to all of the
> #        software in the executable aside from Qt.
> # You can do this, legally, if you are the copyright holder for the
> # program. Add it in the source files, after the notice that says the
> # program is covered by the GNU GPL.
> 
> Where it says "as a special exception", that means the license is no
> longer the GPL. It is the GPL _with_special_exceptions_.

*nod*

This is correct.  I hadn't actually read the document quoted above but I
remember it being discussed around the time when Debian ditched KDE from
their distribution because of the license problem.  The solution
proposed at that time on various news sites and discussion groups was as
stated above.

Regards,

Christian.