[ros-general] Is really the whole ReactOS GPL? Then its a problem.

[theUser BL]

Hi!

In your forum existing a question without any answer:
http://www.reactos.com/content/view/full/1493

And I wonder. Is the complete ReactOS under the GPL?

On the main-side of the homepage there stand:
>  License
> ReactOS is licensed under the GNU General Public License. 
But if really the complete ReactOS is under the GPL (and without an special 
exception like in the GNU Classpath project 
http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/license.html).

The problem of the GPL is, that you can't link GPL-incompatible programs 
(that are the most of the Windows-programs) with GPL libraries.
In the FAQ there stand nothing about this. But I have seen, that you have 
discussed this at
http://reactos.com:8080/archives/public/ros-general/2004-February/000703.ht…

But it seems, that you are still happy with the GPL.

Have a look at Linux. The primary widget-toolkits are GTK+ and Qt. GTK+ is 
licensed under the LGPL, thats ok. But Qt is licensed under the GPL (and 
QPL) for free. And there existing a third license for commercial use.
If you want to create a closed-source library, which linked to Qt, you need 
the commercial license of the Qt, because you can only link to 
GPL-libraries, if your program is GPL-compatible.

I think, that ReactOS needs more to be LGPL, then GNU/Linux.
All modules for the Linux-kernel and all drivers are GPL. And they _must_ be 
GPL, because the kernel is GPL.

But you want to use with ReactOS closed-source drivers. So your 
ReactOS-kernel can not be GPL or it is not legal to use all the 
MS-Windows-drivers for ReactOS.

The problem is not only, to run programs on ReactOS. I think, it would be 
nice, if it is possible, to create GPL-incompatible 
programs/libraries/drivers on ReactOS without using MS-Windows.


I see a very big problem in the use of the GPL in ReactOS.
Do you have contacted the FreeSoftwareFoundation or Richard Stallman, what 
they think about the legallity of using proprietary 
programs/libraries/drivers with an ReactOS, which is completly under the 
GPL?


Greatings
theuserbl

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