Re: [Freedos-kernel] Packing kernel with aPack saves 1.3 KB

[Bart O. <bar...@us...>]

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004, Luchezar Georgiev wrote:

> On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 15:16:05 +0000 (GMT), Bart Oldeman wrote:
>
> >> I've now prepared the precompiled kernel binary (OpenWatcom 1.2, FAT32,
> >> 8086) in ROMDSK this way. (It always contains the latest CVS kernel.)
> >> Last note: aPack-ed programs can be freely distributed for
> >> non-commercial purposes, but otherwise require a license (the fee is $29
> >> for individual users and $95 for companies, see
> >> http://www.ibsensoftware.com/products_aPACK.html).
> >
> > i'm a little worried about this -- this may be incompatible with the GPL!
>
> I don't know really. If anyone is competent on licensing issues (albeit
> not a lawyer) fell free to comment. I'm not sure that even UPX is
> compatible with GPL, because its authors themselves violate it by
> REFUSING to publish the source code of the NRV ("Not Really Vanished")
> compression library!

there are two issues involved here
a) the fact that commercial (re)distribution may require a fee to the
   APACK author. Who knows perhaps it only applies to the person who
   packs it. The APACK website isn't terribly clear on that. Anyway Jim
   has already explained what's the problem here.
b) the fact that a stub is linked in and the stub is not-GPL-ed.
   As far as I understood so far from the UPX license the stub in UPX
   compressed programs is GPLed (the same in UCL as in NRV) even
   though the NRV library itself isn't.
   Here the GPL can be very restrictive, in linking the decompressor stub,
   the decompressor stub has to be GPL compatible.
   Now you might say, what about Borland's RTL and DOS extender stubs?
   Well these are explicitly excluded as "part of the operating system",
   because the GPL explicitly says that the compiler is part of the OS;
   and the DOS extender or RTL is part of the compiler package. APACK
   does not ship with a compiler so the clause under 3c does not apply.
   "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 components (compiler, kernel, and so on)
    of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that
    component itself accompanies the executable."

Bart