Re: [Freeciv-Dev] qt-Freeciv client !

[David Pfitzner <dwp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Um, I didn't mean to get into this discussion, but to clear up
one point:

Trent Piepho wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Feb 1999, Greg Wooledge wrote:

> > The restriction on distributing modified copies of the Qt library is,
> > from the point of view of the GPL, a "further restriction", and is thus
> > explicitly disallowed by the GPL.
> 
> This doesn't make any sense to me.  There are GPLed programs which use the
> Motif library.  Motif is quite a bit less free than Qt, since you can't even
> get source or a shared library.  By this reasoning, GPLed programs that
> use Motif are disallowed by the GPL, but many exist.  
> 
> Even motif aside, the C library on most/all non-GNU systems is completely
> un-free.  When you compile Freeciv on a Sun, you are using non-free headers
> and a non-free C library.

The GPL (see http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html, or the file
COPYING in your freeciv distribution) contains an explicit
special exception for system components such as libraries.  

At some time in the past, the FSF apparently decided that the 
Motif library satisfied the requirement of the system component 
exception.  (Although you can also argue about what weight the 
FSF's opinion has in this.)  

In retrospect, I think that may have been a bad move on the part 
of the FSF.  Given that decision, it does indeed seem to give 
grounds for arguing that Qt should similarly be covered by the 
system components exception.

Regards,
-- David