Re: GNU Octave and GPU computing by Ocelot

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

On 27 January 2012 02:49, Riccardo Corradini
<address@hidden> wrote:
> I would ask you if there are any legal issues if I create some
> bindings between GNU Octave and GPU Ocelot (new bsd license). As
> long as GPU Ocelot exploits the noveau NVDIA driver I do not think
> there are. Am I right? On the other hand even if the ocelot software
> explots original closed source NVDIA driver, since it has new bsd
> license there shouldn't be any compatibility issue with GNU Octave.
> Am I right?

If you are using and distributing the nvidia non-free CUDA runtime
(libcuda.so) together with Octave as a single work, or any other
proprietay software, regardless of any other free software you may
include in this work, then you will incur in a GPL violation.

Don't try to play games with the GPL. It's not a matter of interfaces,
of saying "Octave only talks to Ocelot, and Ocelot talks to
libcuda.so". If the combined work contains proprietary software, the
GPL doesn't allow distribution. The FSF's opinion is that linking to
other libraries constitutes derivative work under copyright law, thus
falls undert the scope of the GPL.

Note that as long as there is no distribution, you can do whatever you
want. The GPL doesn't attempt to tell you what you can do with the
software in the privacy of your home or business. It only matters if
you are going to be attempting to distribute a proprietary work based
on Octave.

If I understand this correctly, you're trying to use Ocelot as a
wrapper to libcuda.so, so this question from the GPL FAQ applies:

    http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLWrapper

HTH,
- Jordi G. H.