Re: Matlab compiled mex files in octave

[Steven Levine]

In <address@hidden>,
on 02/21/13
   at 11:12 AM, Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso <address@hidden> said:

Hi Jordi,

>There is a common misunderstanding here. If you distribute GPL source in
>such a way that the source is modified so that it's combined with
>non-free software (e.g. if you distributed Octave's source code in a way
>that it was meant to be used with, say, CUBLAS), this is also a GPL
>violation.

Got a link?  I agree that it could be a violation depending on how it's
done, but it is not a violation per se.

The GPL has specific instructions that allow for this case.

  http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLIncompatibleLibs

>It is admittedly a stretch to say that Henry did this, especially since
>his distributed source is so small (just a couple of functions), so I'll
>relent on this point.

Until I see something that convinces me that what Henry did constitutes a
distribution or conveying as I understand the GPL definition of the term,
I don't see what Henry did as a GPL violation.

>Regardless, this still doesn't solve the problem that we have some
>non-free mex files out there that people would like to use.

The link I provided above provides one possible solution.  Of course, the
owners of the non-free mex files would have to allow the exception.

Clearly the best solution in the Octave context is to convince the owners
that it is to their benefit to release a GPL version of their program.

Steven

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