@ -1,112 +1,125 @@
GNU LIBRARY GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Version 2, June 1991
GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Version 2.1, February 1999
Copyright (C) 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
Copyright (C) 1991, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
[This is the first released version of the library GPL. It is
numbered 2 because it goes with version 2 of the ordinary GPL.]
[This is the first released version of the Lesser GPL. It also counts
as the successor of the GNU Library Public License, version 2, hence
the version number 2.1.]
Preamble
Preamble
The licenses for most software are designed to take away your
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This license, the Library General Public License, applies to some
specially designated Free Software Foundation software, and to any
other libraries whose authors decide to use it. You can use it for
your libraries, too.
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specially designated software packages--typically libraries--of the
Free Software Foundation and other authors who decide to use it. You
can use it too, but we suggest you first think carefully about whether
this license or the ordinary General Public License is the better
strategy to use in any particular case, based on the explanations below.
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To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid
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Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordinary
GNU General Public License, which was designed for utility programs. This
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designated libraries. This license is quite different from the ordinary
one; be sure to read it in full, and don't assume that anything in it is
the same as in the ordinary license .
Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the
ordinary GNU General Public License. This license, the GNU Lesser
General Public License, applies to certain designated libraries, and
is quite different from the ordinary General Public License. We use
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The reason we have a separate public license for some libraries is that
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When a program is linked with a library, whether statically or using
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Because of this blurred distinction, using the ordinary General
Public License for libraries did not effectively promote software
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concluded that weaker conditions might promote sharing better.
We call this license the "Lesser" General Public License because it
does Less to protect the user's freedom than the ordinary General
Public License. It also provides other free software developers Less
of an advantage over competing non-free programs. These disadvantages
are the reason we use the ordinary General Public License for many
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However, unrestricted linking of non-free programs would deprive the
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preserving your freedom as a user of such programs to change the free
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this as regards changes in header files, but we have achieved it as regards
changes in the actual functions of the Library.) The hope is that this
will lead to faster development of free libraries.
For example, on rare occasions, there may be a special need to
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a de-facto standard. To achieve this, non-free programs must be
allowed to use the library. A more frequent case is that a free
library does the same job as widely used non-free libraries. In this
case, there is little to gain by limiting the free library to free
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In other cases, permission to use a particular library in non-free
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free software. For example, permission to use the GNU C Library in
non-free programs enables many more people to use the whole GNU
operating system, as well as its variant, the GNU/Linux operating
system.
Although the Lesser General Public License is Less protective of the
users' freedom, it does ensure that the user of a program that is
linked with the Library has the freedom and the wherewithal to run
that program using a modified version of the Library.
The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and
modification follow. Pay close attention to the difference between a
"work based on the library" and a "work that uses the library". The
former contains code derived from the library, while the latter only
works together with the library.
Note that it is possible for a library to be covered by the ordinary
General Public License rather than by this special one.
former contains code derived from the library, whereas the latter must
be combined with the library in order to run.
GNU LIBRARY GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION
0. This License Agreement applies to any software library which
contains a notice placed by the copyright holder or other authorized
party saying it may be distributed under the terms of this Library
General Public License (also called "this License"). Each licensee is
addressed as "you".
0. This License Agreement applies to any software library or other
program which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder or
other authorized party saying it may be distributed under the terms of
this Lesser General Public License (also called "this License").
Each licensee is addressed as "you".
A "library" means a collection of software functions and/or data
prepared so as to be conveniently linked with application programs
@ -133,7 +146,7 @@ such a program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based
on the Library (independent of the use of the Library in a tool for
writing it). Whether that is true depends on what the Library does
and what the program that uses the Library does.
1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Library's
complete source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that
you conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an
@ -255,7 +268,7 @@ distribute the object code for the work under the terms of Section 6.
Any executables containing that work also fall under Section 6,
whether or not they are linked directly with the Library itself.
6. As an exception to the Sections above, you may also compil e or
6. As an exception to the Sections above, you may also combin e or
link a "work that uses the Library" with the Library to produce a
work containing portions of the Library, and distribute that work
under terms of your choice, provided that the terms permit
@ -282,23 +295,31 @@ of these things:
Library will not necessarily be able to recompile the application
to use the modified definitions.)
b) Accompany the work with a written offer, valid for at
b) Use a suitable shared library mechanism for linking with the
Library. A suitable mechanism is one that (1) uses at run time a
copy of the library already present on the user's computer system,
rather than copying library functions into the executable, and (2)
will operate properly with a modified version of the library, if
the user installs one, as long as the modified version is
interface-compatible with the version that the work was made with.
c) Accompany the work with a written offer, valid for at
least three years, to give the same user the materials
specified in Subsection 6a, above, for a charge no more
than the cost of performing this distribution.
c) If distribution of the work is made by offering access to copy
d ) If distribution of the work is made by offering access to copy
from a designated place, offer equivalent access to copy the above
specified materials from the same place.
d ) Verify that the user has already received a copy of these
e ) Verify that the user has already received a copy of these
materials or that you have already sent this user a copy.
For an executable, the required form of the "work that uses the
Library" must include any data and utility programs needed for
reproducing the executable from it. However, as a special exception,
the source code distributed need not include anything that is normally
distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major
the materials to be distributed need not include anything that is
normally distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major
components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on
which the executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies
the executable.
@ -347,7 +368,7 @@ Library), the recipient automatically receives a license from the
original licensor to copy, distribute, link with or modify the Library
subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further
restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein.
You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to
You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties with
this License.
11. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
@ -390,7 +411,7 @@ excluded. In such case, this License incorporates the limitation as if
written in the body of this License.
13. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new
versions of the Library General Public License from time to time.
versions of the Lesser General Public License from time to time.
Such new versions will be similar in spirit to the present version,
but may differ in detail to address new problems or concerns.
@ -411,7 +432,7 @@ decision will be guided by the two goals of preserving the free status
of all derivatives of our free software and of promoting the sharing
and reuse of software generally.
NO WARRANTY
NO WARRANTY
15. BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO
WARRANTY FOR THE LIBRARY, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
@ -434,7 +455,7 @@ FAILURE OF THE LIBRARY TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF
SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.
END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries
@ -453,19 +474,18 @@ convey the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have at least the
Copyright (C) <year> <name of author>
This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
Library General Public License for more details.
Lesser General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public
License along with this library; if not, write to the
Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA.
You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail.
Sébastien Wilmet