Re: MatLab-5 .mat file: Octave fails to read

[Jim Van Zandt]

John -

> Also, as I understand things, it would also be a violation of the GPL
> to distribute functions for Octave that provide an interface to the
> non-free code, and expect the user to do the link.

As I remember, the LGPL (Library General Public License) allows the
user to link free code with non-free code, as long as the user can get
the source code for the free part, and upgrade it when he wants.  The
original idea was to allow people to link their proprietary code
against the GNU libraries.  I don't see why it shouldn't work just as
well if the proprietary part is a library and the free part is the
calling program.  Would you consider licensing Octave under the LGPL
as well as the GPL?

                             - Jim Van Zandt