Diffrence between LGPL and GPL?

worldmagic · 07-01-2004, 06:17 AM

Hi

Im woundering how LGPL and GPL differs. I always thought that you could link with an LGPL library but not GPL (without GPL your own program). But to my supprice I notis that the C++ headerfiles are under GPL, and that the library itself is also under GPL. And alot of software links against them. How can this be?

aluser · 07-01-2004, 07:12 AM

My c++ headers seem to have this exception in them:

Quote:

// As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free software
// library without restriction. Specifically, if other files instantiate
// templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you compile
// this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this
// file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by
// the GNU General Public License

I'm not sure if the library has the same thing, but it might..

aluser · 07-01-2004, 07:18 AM

ah, here's the license for libstdc++: http://www.doubleand.tv/doc/cpp-3.1/...o/license.html . They explain why they can't use the lgpl

worldmagic · 07-01-2004, 08:24 AM

Ah, Thank you, I had missed that part.