On 06/29/2009 12:15 PM, Robert Kern wrote:
On Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 00:34, David
Cournapeau<da...@ar.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp> wrote:
Hi,
I started working on a new approach for windows 64 bits support, to
be able to combine gfortran and visual studio. Basically, I am
reimplementing the needed functions from libgfortran so that it can be
built with MS compiler, but I cannot hope to do that without using
gfortran sources (under the GPL 3), if only for the signature/API of the
functions.
Function signatures and public APIs are not copyrightable. What else
do you need?
Is it ok to include those sources in numpy/scipy, given that
they will only be used in those cases where libgfortran would have to be
used anyway ?
Keep in mind that libgfortran is GPLv3+exception. Is the code that you
are looking at from gfortran itself (GPLv3) or libgfortran
(GPLv3+exception)?
Since you appear to require that the user already has gfortran
installed, then you just need to avoid adding any GPL licensed code to
actual numpy/scipy code as that would make numpy/scipy GPL. See SFLC's
'Maintaining Permissive-Licensed Files in a GPL-Licensed Project:
Guidelines for Developers':
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/resources/2007/gpl-non-gpl-collaboration.html
I would think that you could just provide an appropriately licensed
package that combines a separately downloaded numpy/scipy with the
separately downloaded/installed gfortran to install the new version of
numpy/scipy. Essentially the same way you get non-free software like mp3
decoders for certain Linux distros. If that works, then perhaps a clean
room implementation and rewrite of certain fortran code could be done to
remove the gfortran dependencies.
Regards
Bruce
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