This is the mail archive of the newlib@sources.redhat.com mailing list for the newlib project.


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
Other format: [Raw text]

Re: licensing


Peter Grössinger wrote:
> 
> hi all,
> 
> i am having slight problems in understanding if i could use newlib
> comercially in a project. i went through the free software licenses on
> redhat's newlib webpage. i do understand that newlib is only available in
> source form. so, how and where would i place all copyright messages in the
> product i deliever to my customer ?
> 
> going into further details, i am building a cross compiler under cygwin
> and everything which is shipped to my customer is the cross compiler built
> with newlib as its c library.
> 
> any advice would be very much appreciated.
> 
> thank you very much in advance !
> 
> kindest regards,
> peter
> 

Yes, you can use newlib in a commercial product.  Nearly all of the code
is under BSD-style licensing.  If you look at COPYING.NEWLIB (top level
directory) you will see the various licenses.  

You are not required to ship source code, but if you do, you must preserve 
the notices in the source you use from newlib.  This is relatively easy
to do as it requires no action on your part.  In your binary distribution,
include a copy of COPYING.NEWLIB.

In your documentation, you need to acknowledge the Copyright/license owners.
Basically, just reproduce the pertinent licenses from COPYING.NEWLIB 
at the end of your docs.

As part of some clauses, there is a restriction not to use the license owner's
name in advertising of your product without prior permission, but you are
unlikely to want to do this.

There are two licenses to note that are not BSD-style.

1. the go32 code is covered by a special license.  Since you are building for
   Cygwin, you don't need to worry about this.  I plan to
   remove this code as it is out of date and not used for the go32 target anyway.

2. x86-linux is covered by the LGPL license.  This is more restrictive than a BSD-style 
   license.  Again, since you are building for Cygwin, this does not apply to you.

What I have told you only applies to newlib.  You will have to deal with the
compiler and Cygwin licensing separately.

-- Jeff J.


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]