Re: Confused about LGPL terms - can you help?

[John Hasler]

Alex writes:
> Well... if I *dynamically* link to the library, is it considered "combine
> or link a "work that uses the Library" with the Library to produce a work
> containing portions of the Library" ?

> If so, then the 4 conditions that I listed in my last message as
> complying with the LGPL license are not enough: I must also provide
> "terms that permit modification of the work for the customer's own use
> and reverse engineering for debugging such modifications."

Dynamic linking does not actually combine your code with that in the
library.  It merely sets up the conditions for the linking to automatically
happen on the user's computer when he loads your program.  That's why it's
called "dynamic linking".

> Which means that I have to grant my customers access to my source code?

The LGPL does not require that you grant your customers access to your
source code when you link to an LGPL library.  It merely requires that you
provide your customers with everything they need to relink your program to
a different version of the library.  In the case of static linking this
means that you would have to provide object files (not source) for your
program.  In the case of dynamic linking you need do nothing special as the
customer already has everything he needs to link to a different version:
all he needs to do is install said different version and load the program.
-- 
John Hasler 
john@dhh.gt.org
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA