Re: calling octave from C

[Jaroslav Hajek]

On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 9:53 PM, Judd Storrs <address@hidden> wrote:

On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 3:26 PM, Jaroslav Hajek <address@hidden> wrote:
> Why?

Because non-GPL scripts are either allowed in both octave and python
or they are forbidden in both octave and python. They are covered by
exactly the same license. The GPL must apply everywhere equally.

Octave and Python are not covered by the same license. Besides, you're getting of the point, because (according to FSF's FAQ) it's not Octave or Python, but Pytave (the "bindings" to external software) that makes the difference. And Pytave is not a part of Python.
 

Proposing that an interpreter that embeds octave is free to impose new
restrictions on octave is the kind of doublethink you would expect
from a corporate entity trying to circumvent the GPL.

Oh my. So please tell that to FSF, and how they are screwing the license they invented.

 

Unless I missed a change in octave's licensing, pytave does not have
the authority to alter the license of octave.


--judd

In fact Pytave could add additional terms under section 7, but you have been told that Pytave just uses GPL 3, so I don't understand why you keep saying that.

Unlike its predecessor, GPL 3 does not talk about scripts, interpreters and libraries, not even derivative works. It simply says that a covered work (modified, or based on the source GPL work in question) is anything that would normally require a copyright permission under applicable law.

So ultimately the question is whether a script using Pytave would require copyright permission if Pytave and Octave were proprietary. Apparently, the FSF thinks that the answer is yes.

-- 
RNDr. Jaroslav Hajek
computing expert & GNU Octave developer
Aeronautical Research and Test Institute (VZLU)
Prague, Czech Republic
url: www.highegg.matfyz.cz