Re: [OctDev] Test web-site of new octave-forge web-site including all packages

[David Bateman]

Joe Koski wrote:
> on 10/10/06 11:39 AM, John W. Eaton at address@hidden wrote:
>
>   
>> What should we do about the "nonfree" packages?  The parts that are
>> actually linked with Octave and have a non-free license can't be
>> included in binary packages of Octave, and I belive that distributing
>> them as source files and asking the user to do the link could be
>> considered contributory infringement of the GPL.  We have had to
>> remove similar code from Octave in the past due to license
>> restrictions, so I would ask that the nonfree code that must be linked
>> with Octave be removed from Octave Forge.
>>
>> jwe
>>     
>
> John,
>
> As one of the few who actually uses gcvspl with it's octave interface, I
> would hate to see it go, but I understand the dilemma. For what it is worth,
> gcvspl.f is available for download on from www.netlib.org. How about leaving
> the octave interface available (in the online help files?), but directing
> those that want to use it to NetLib? Awkward, but better than throwing out
> the hard work that went into developing the interface. What are the license
> requirements for use of NetLib software anyway? Could it be that gcvspl
> licensing has changed since it entered octave-forge? I think many octave and
> octave-forge Fortran routines are included in NetLib.
>
> Joe
>
>   
Joe,

The code in GCVSPL is very old and so even finding the author or someone
in a position to give a clarification of the license will be next to
impossible. One of the wonderful things about the GPL is that it removes
that dilemma of finding the original author for clarification. I had to
throw weeks of work away in the past because I could not get a
clarification from the author of code I linked to on the codes licensing
terms. You might like to try and see if a GPL compatible release of
GCVSPL is possible, but I wouldn't hold my breath...

D.

-- 
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