Re: [Mingw-users] glibc searching and sorting

[Charles W. <cwi...@us...>]

Keith Marshall wrote:
> 1) Distribute cygwin-1.dll with it, requiring you to GPL your entire 
> application, and make full source available, or
> 
> 2) Require your end users to install Cygwin, before they can deploy your 
> application.

Actually, in BOTH cases you are required to GPL your entire 
applicationsand make full source available (unless you negotiate with 
Red Hat a separate licensing arrangement).

If you distribute a binary application or library that is linked against 
the cygwin runtime, that application or library is a "combined work" and 
falls under the GPL -- regardless of whether you distribute the cygwin 
dll itself.

IANAL; please address cygwin licensing concerns to the appropriate list 
(cyg...@cy...), etc etc...

If GPL issues aren't a concern, then the real fly in the ointment is 
distribution: in case (1) you're a so-called "third party provider" 
http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#3PP (which is not a term of endearment) 
because by squirreling multiple copies of cygwin1.dll on an end-user's 
system, you may actually break completely unrelated programs (like a 
pre-existing cygwin environment).  One cygwin1.dll per machine, please.

Then (2) is bad, because who wants to install a whole "environment" just 
a use Thad's Latest And Greatest Chat Application? (or cd burner, or 
whathaveyou).

It's not a good situation; standalone deployable apps are best served on 
windows as full windows ports (e.g. mingw-compiled) if you can manage 
it.  And I say that as a mainly cygwin guy.

--
Chuck