[MPlayer-dev-eng] Re: help on libmpdemux usage (Modifié par Jérôme Cornet)

[D Richard Felker III]

On Wed, Jan 14, 2004 at 04:39:26PM +0100, Jérôme Cornet wrote:
> So, i have read all users's replies about that topic. I have also
> read the part of the FAQ, which was also very interesting. To me,
> the main problem is about the definition of "linking", especially
> what you are linking to what and in my case what is "linking".
> 
> After reading all the answers, i have to impression you cannot port
> any GPL program to a non GPL OS. Let's take an example. I want to
> port Emacs to Windows but in order to do that, I have to translate
> some X calls into Win32 API calls. So the final binary "is linked"
> with some "OS libraries". So D Richard Felker says, "it explicitly
> makes an exception for OS libs". OK. So I have the right to port
> Emacs to Windows, right?

Yes. There is an explicit exception for OS libraries which are ** part
of the os **.

> Now, let's take QuickTime. I understand perfectly you hate that
> piece of software but that is not the point. Do you have any
> informations on the way QuickTime's Components work? A QuickTime
> component is some kind of a "plug-in". It provides some routines
> which are called by QuickTime itself when opening a video file.
> Inside the component, some system calls are done, the same way Emacs
> for Windows would do under Windows. QuickTime is a system library.

No, QuickTime certainly does not meet this exemption. The exemption is
for when the GPL program needs to use the OS libraries to utilize and
run on the underlying system, NOT so the underlying system can use the
GPL program as one of its components. Besides, QuickTime is a movie
player, not part of the OS. Integrating apps with the OS install does
not let you work around the intent of the GPL.

Rich