What is the difference between gpl, agpl and lgpl licenses. From time to time we revise this definition, to clarify it or to resolve questions about subtle issues. But if they know that what they have received is a free program plus another. Software under the gpl may be run for all purposes. Copyleft definition, the right to freely use, modify, copy, and share software, works of art, etc. In 2007, the gnu affero gpl was published by the free software foundation. To avoid inadvertently infecting your proprietary software with the viral effect of the gpl license, your product should dynamically link to the open source components when it is running so that your proprietary code and the open source code are not considered as a single work subject to the gpl license, which would be the. The gpl wont infect your proprietary software unless you link to it. The gpl is the free software foundations general public licence. Gpl, also known as copyleft, grants permission to reuse or modify the source code to make derivative works, but if you distribute your program to others, it requires you to license your derivative work under the gpl too. Linux systems rely heavily on gnu software and in the past, gnu systems used the linux kernel. This license was developed in 1983 by richard stallman.
Based on the gnu gpl version 2, version 1 of the affero gpl was published in 2002 by affero, inc. The most widespread use of gpl is in reference to the gnu gpl, which is commonly abbreviated simply as gpl when it is understood that the term refers. Can gpl licenced software be used in corporate environments. Its impressive, for instance, to look at sonys web site where they fulfill their gpl obligation, and see the dozens of tv models and many other products that contain linux. Jan 16, 2004 the answer to both questions is the gpl, or gnu general public license, the software license that governs the linux kernel and other opensource software. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a widelyused free software license that guarantees end users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software. Definition of gnu affero general public license pcmag.
Common uses of general public license gpl gpllicensed software can be redistributed, as long as the new version is released under the same license. What is open source software, and why does it matter. Usually, opensource licenses do not require royalty or other fees on distribution. Is it legal to use gpl code in a proprietary, closed. Technipages explains free software foundation fsf the fsfs main purpose is to provide access to software tools, programs and code elements for public use, without restriction on what can and cant be modified. So, the most important issue of this license is to distribute the software with the source code. As richard stallman explains it, free software means free as in free speech, not free as in free beer. The free software foundation fsf is a nonprofit organization that promotes the creation, distribution and amendment of free software programs and applications without any restriction. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law. The open source definition was originally derived from the debian free software guidelines dfsg. The gpl allows you to modify, copy, and distribute software licensed under it, provided you also license the derived work under the gpl, and make available the source code. The gnu general public license gnu gpl or gpl is a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software. Despite the critical role the gpl plays in the advance of linux, not many people understand its terms.
In the gnu project, the specific distribution terms that we use for most software are contained in the gnu general public license. Aug 26, 2008 the license terms apply to anyone who distributes gpld software, regardless of whether they are the original distributor. Gpl is listed in the worlds largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms the free dictionary. Making the program a gnu software package means explicitly contributing to the. Gnu pronounced gnew is a free unixlike operating system distributed by the free software foundation. The licenses were originally written by richard stallman, former head of the free software foundation fsf, for the gnu project, and grant the recipients of a computer program the rights of the free software. If youre just using a distributed multinode system inside your company, then youre entirely in the clear, as yan says.
Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu. In 1991, the gnu lesser general public license lgpl, then known as the library general public license, was written for the gnu c library to allow it to be linked with proprietary software. The gpl, or gnu general public license, is widely used by many opensource projects, such as linux. If you should know, there are several other open source licenses too, some of which claim to offer even more freedom than the gpl such as mozilla public license, bsd licence, apache 2. Since the gnulinux system is a popular version of linux, it is often referred to as simply linux. If you have licensed software youve written under gpl version 2, and you are the original licensor of that software, you may wish to relicense your software. This is a complex topic that courts and lawyers disagree about, but i think we can agree on definitions that can ease peoples concerns. Why should i use the gnu gpl rather than other free software licenses. If i use gpl software in my application, but dont modify or distribute it, do i. Gpl software can be used anywhere, without restrictions. It was written by richard stallman of free software foundation for gnu project. The gnu free documentation license fdl, for documentation, followed in 2000. We explain the difference in why open source misses the point of free software.
Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu project. The dominant copyleft license is the gnu gpl see gnu general public license. Looking for online definition of gpl or what gpl stands for. The gpl is a free software license, and therefore it permits people to. This license allows software to be freely used, modified, and redistributed by anyone.
Open source software is computer software that is available with source code and certain other rights reserved for. Have you ever used gpl library for writing nongpl software. If people were to distribute gplcovered software calling it part of a system that users know is partly proprietary, users might be uncertain of their rights regarding the gplcovered software. What is gnu general public license gnu gpl or simply gpl. Top 10 gnu gpl license questions answered whitesource. As discussed in the next chapter, the gpl does grant such permission, but requires the modified work must also be licensed under the terms of the gpl and only gpl. Gnu general public license a copyleft free software license. Gpl is provided through the free software foundation, a nonprofit corporation that works to provide free software for the gnu project. The gnu general public license, often shortened to gnu gpl or simply gpl, lists terms and conditions for copying, modifying and distributing free software. Definition of gpl or general public license also known as gnu gpl, the open source free software license adapted by wordpress other free software. The software included in this product contains ed software that is licensed under the gpl. Opensource software wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This means that if the original software is licensed under the gpl. In this case the enterprise software was used by some large companies who essentially took the code, changed the name, removed the gpl notices and used the result. This page illustrates how gpl is used in messaging and chat forums, in addition to social networking software like vk, instagram, whatsapp, and snapchat. The definition of gpl is given above so check it out related information. The group open source initiative osi defines and maintains a list of approved opensource licenses. Gpl is short for gnu general public license, which was created by the free software foundation. They worry that they might accidentally create derivative works that will infect their own proprietary software. Aug 16, 2019 the fsfs main licence is called general public license or gpl.
It is available in several different versions, but the most popular is the gnulinux system, which uses the linux kernel. The gpl is considered the standard open source software licence, and many nonsoftware works are published under the gpl as well. Participating in an oss project can be a pathway to building a career in software development, allowing programmers to hone their skills by working on the biggest software programs in the world. A requirement in the gnu gpl software license and other free software licenses that anyone who redistributes the software does so under the same license and also includes the source code. Selfreferentially, short for gnus not unix, a unixcompatible software system developed by the free software foundation fsf. What does gpl stand for in text in sum, gpl is an acronym or abbreviation word that is defined in simple language. When software is licensed under gpl terms, it means that the software is both free and copylefted. Relationships between the gpl licences and other software are carefully explained in the gpl faq. The purpose of this license is to ensure that a work can be freely distributed and modified by anybody, and that no proprietary works can be derived from the original work.
Free, in a software context, does not necessarily mean free of cost. The original purpose of the gnu project was the creation of a free operating system. The gnu general public license is often called the gnu gpl for short. The gnu general public license is a free, copyleft license for software and other. This page is maintained by the free software foundations licensing and compliance lab. See the history section below for a list of changes that affect the definition of free software.
Sep 15, 2017 the gpl, or gnu general public license, is widely used by many opensource projects, such as linux. Comparison of free and opensource software licenses. Osi agrees with fsf on all widely used freesoftware licenses, but differ from fsfs list, as it approves against the open source definition rather than the free software definition. Richard stallman founded the project in 1978 at mit.
Copyleft is a general concept, and you cant use a general concept directly. The most prominent and popular example is the gnu general public license gpl, which allows free distribution under the condition that further developments and applications are put under the same licence, thus also free. To learn about specific microsoft server and client licensing scenarios, see an introduction to microsoft server and client licensing. The gpl was created by richard stallman in order to protect gnu software from being made proprietary. Computer desktop encyclopedia this definition is for personal use only all other reproduction is strictly. Source code is the part of software that most computer users dont ever see. You can support our efforts by making a donation to the fsf. Short for general public license, the license that accompanies some open source software that details how the software and its accompany source code can be freely copied, distributed and modified. In fact, the fsf maintainers of the gpl have harsh words for licenses that try to restrict use of the software in any way. Opensource license allows opensource software users to copy, distribute, or modify the source code, and publicly distribute derived works based on the source code. In addition to all the above definitions of opensource, the terms of the gpl specify that, if anyone modifies an opensource program and distributes a derivative work, they must also distribute the source code for their derivative work. The fsf has placed emphasis on the process boundary when considering copyleft scope, and on the mechanism and semantics of the communication between multiple software components to determine whether they are closely integrated enough to be considered a single program for gpl purposes. Many users of open source software are frightened by the term derivative works.
Software licensing is a complicated topic, but knowing a little about software licensing can help you make sense of all that fine print. Fsf was founded by richard stallman in 1985 as part of the free software movement and the earlier gnu project. Also the gpl requires that all notices and notices that refer to the gpl stay. Last modified, 20070322 the content on this website, of which is the author, is licensed under a creative commons attribution 4. Take the example of vendor v, who develops a software platform from gpld sources for use in embedded devices. Most bugs are due to human errors in source code or its design. Can i use gpl software in a commercial application software. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law center. The difference between the gpl and the lgpl is that with the lgpl, the entire work doesnt have to have the same license. Oct 31, 2014 the organizations traditionally bringing complaints of copyleft noncompliance in historical order, the free software foundation, gpl, the software freedom law center, and the software freedom conservancy all fully investigate and verify complaints referred to them before making contact with apparently noncomplying parties. A software license is a document that provides legally binding guidelines for the use and distribution of software.
Several opensource software licenses have qualified within the boundaries of the open source definition. Short for general public license, the license that accompanies some open source software that details how the software and its accompany source code can be. Explaining and understanding the gnu general public license. Opensource software is an alternative to proprietary software. The choice of licence comes down to personal preference, and both approaches can. The philosophy behind gnu is to produce software that is nonproprietary. The license was originally written by richard stallman, former head of the free software foundation fsf, for the gnu project, and grants the recipients of a computer. The gpl license is viral, meaning any derivative work you create containing even the. The gnu gpl allows users to change and share all versions of a. Information and translations of gpl in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Can i use gpl software binaries in commercial environment.
If you intend to use the gpld software strictly within. The gnu project is a mass collaborative initiative for the development of free software. Software under the gpl may be run for all purposes, including. Gnu general public license, version 3 spdx short identifier. In contrast to lgpl, gpl requires that you provide the code for all changes made to the software. Open source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. Gpl, or the gnu general public license, is an open source license meant.
That means that anyone can do anything with something under the gpl except deny others rights given by them by the gpl. Nov 02, 2016 the gnu general public license exists to protect the liberties of software creators and users alike. The vast majority of questions i get about combining gpl and proprietary software concern embedded systems, since linux is a component of so many consumer products these days. The free software definition presents the criteria for whether a particular software program qualifies as free software. Software freedom law center guide to gpl compliance 2nd edition. According to stallman, copyleft is a derivative of law that serves the opposite of its usual purpose. Anyone can download, modify and redistribute gnu software. Gpl software can also be modified without restrictions, as long as the modified software is kept private. Determining whether software was modified is a substantially easier analysis than the derivative work discussions and considerations in this chapter. However, there are also noncopyleft free software licenses that do permit distribution of proprietary versions. The gnu gpl allows users to change and share all versions of a program. Although other types of oss allow for the software to be changed and then sold, gpl does not. Making sense of software licensing articles and howtos. Most gpl version 2 software is actually licensed as gpl version 2 or any later version, or.
General public license gpl general public license gpl is a free software license that is used in many places and provides great opportunities. Till now you might have got some idea about the acronym, abbreviation or meaning of gpl. Aug 16, 2019 common uses of general public license gpl gpl licensed software can be redistributed, as long as the new version is released under the same license. A copy of that license is included in this document on page x. The creation of the gpl license was supposed to promote the availability of free software. Recent examples on the web such a vote could lead to a government of national unity gnu backed by a crossparty majority of mps. There may be more than one meaning of gpl, so check it out all meanings of gpl one by one. This article is a general introduction to software licensing. A software bug is a problem causing a program to crash or produce invalid output. The gnu project was started in 1983 by richard stallman at the massachusetts institute of technology. The only restriction is that they cannot limit further redistribution. Gpl or general public license, sometimes also called gnu gpl, is the most commonly used free software license. The comparison only covers software licenses with a linked article for details, approved by at least one expert group at the fsf, the osi, the debian project or the fedora project.
This is a comparison of free and opensource software licenses. Another point about the title of your question can i use gpl software binaries in commercial environment. Distributing in this sense means giving or selling to customers. The more free software well have in commercial environments, the less hassle well have to fix issues in production.
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