1@c \input texinfo.tex @c -*-texinfo-*- 2@c 3@c %**start of header 4 5@c All text is ignored before the setfilename. 6@setfilename LGPL.info 7 8@center GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE 9@center Version 2.1, February 1999 10 11@sp 1 12 13Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 1459 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA 15 16Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this 17license document, but changing it is not allowed. 18 19[This is the first released version of the Lesser GPL. It also counts 20as the successor of the GNU Library Public License, version 2, hence the 21version number 2.1.] 22 23@sp 1 24@center Preamble 25@sp 1 26 27The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to 28share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public Licenses are 29intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to 30make sure the software is free for all its users. 31 32This license, the Lesser General Public License, applies to some 33specially designated software packages--typically libraries--of the Free 34Software Foundation and other authors who decide to use it. You can use 35it too, but we suggest you first think carefully about whether this 36license or the ordinary General Public License is the better strategy to 37use in any particular case, based on the explanations below. 38 39When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom of use, not 40price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you 41have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for 42this service if you wish); that you receive source code or can get it if 43you want it; that you can change the software and use pieces of it in 44new free programs; and that you are informed that you can do these 45things. 46 47To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid 48distributors to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender these 49rights. These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for 50you if you distribute copies of the library or if you modify it. 51 52For example, if you distribute copies of the library, whether gratis or 53for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that we gave you. 54You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. 55If you link other code with the library, you must provide complete 56object files to the recipients, so that they can relink them with the 57library after making changes to the library and recompiling it. And you 58must show them these terms so they know their rights. 59 60We protect your rights with a two-step method: (1) we copyright the 61library, and (2) we offer you this license, which gives you legal 62permission to copy, distribute and/or modify the library. 63 64To protect each distributor, we want to make it very clear that there is 65no warranty for the free library. Also, if the library is modified by 66someone else and passed on, the recipients should know that what they 67have is not the original version, so that the original author's 68reputation will not be affected by problems that might be introduced by 69others. 70 71Finally, software patents pose a constant threat to the existence of any 72free program. We wish to make sure that a company cannot effectively 73restrict the users of a free program by obtaining a restrictive license 74from a patent holder. Therefore, we insist that any patent license 75obtained for a version of the library must be consistent with the full 76freedom of use specified in this license. 77 78Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordinary 79GNU General Public License. This license, the GNU Lesser General Public 80License, applies to certain designated libraries, and is quite different 81from the ordinary General Public License. We use this license for 82certain libraries in order to permit linking those libraries into 83non-free programs. 84 85When a program is linked with a library, whether statically or using a 86shared library, the combination of the two is legally speaking a 87combined work, a derivative of the original library. The ordinary 88General Public License therefore permits such linking only if the entire 89combination fits its criteria of freedom. The Lesser General Public 90License permits more lax criteria for linking other code with the 91library. 92 93We call this license the ``Lesser'' General Public License because it does 94Less to protect the user's freedom than the ordinary General Public 95License. It also provides other free software developers Less of an 96advantage over competing non-free programs. These disadvantages are the 97reason we use the ordinary General Public License for many libraries. 98However, the Lesser license provides advantages in certain special 99circumstances. 100 101For example, on rare occasions, there may be a special need to encourage 102the widest possible use of a certain library, so that it becomes a 103de-facto standard. To achieve this, non-free programs must be allowed 104to use the library. A more frequent case is that a free library does 105the same job as widely used non-free libraries. In this case, there is 106little to gain by limiting the free library to free software only, so we 107use the Lesser General Public License. 108 109In other cases, permission to use a particular library in non-free 110programs enables a greater number of people to use a large body of free 111software. For example, permission to use the GNU C Library in non-free 112programs enables many more people to use the whole GNU operating system, 113as well as its variant, the GNU/Linux operating system. 114 115Although the Lesser General Public License is Less protective of the 116users' freedom, it does ensure that the user of a program that is linked 117with the Library has the freedom and the wherewithal to run that program 118using a modified version of the Library. 119 120The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and 121modification follow. Pay close attention to the difference between a 122``work based on the library'' and a ``work that uses the library''. The 123former contains code derived from the library, whereas the latter must 124be combined with the library in order to run. 125 126@page 127 128@center GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE 129@center TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION 130 131@enumerate 0 132 133@sp 1 134@item 135This License Agreement applies to any software library or other program 136which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder or other 137authorized party saying it may be distributed under the terms of this 138Lesser General Public License (also called ``this License''). Each 139licensee is addressed as ``you''. 140 141A ``library'' means a collection of software functions and/or data 142prepared so as to be conveniently linked with application programs 143(which use some of those functions and data) to form executables. 144 145The ``Library'', below, refers to any such software library or work which 146has been distributed under these terms. A ``work based on the Library'' 147means either the Library or any derivative work under copyright law: 148that is to say, a work containing the Library or a portion of it, either 149verbatim or with modifications and/or translated straightforwardly into 150another language. (Hereinafter, translation is included without 151limitation in the term ``modification''.) 152 153``Source code'' for a work means the preferred form of the work for making 154modifications to it. For a library, complete source code means all the 155source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface 156definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and 157installation of the library. 158 159Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not 160covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running 161a program using the Library is not restricted, and output from such a 162program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the 163Library (independent of the use of the Library in a tool for writing 164it). Whether that is true depends on what the Library does and what the 165program that uses the Library does. 166 167@sp 1 168@item 169You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Library's complete 170source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you 171conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate 172copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices 173that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; and 174distribute a copy of this License along with the Library. 175 176You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and 177you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee. 178 179@sp 1 180@item 181You may modify your copy or copies of the Library or any portion of it, 182thus forming a work based on the Library, and copy and distribute such 183modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that 184you also meet all of these conditions: 185 186@enumerate a 187 188@item 189The modified work must itself be a software library. 190 191@sp 1 192@item 193You must cause the files modified to carry prominent notices stating 194that you changed the files and the date of any change. 195 196@sp 1 197@item 198You must cause the whole of the work to be licensed at no charge to all 199third parties under the terms of this License. 200 201@sp 1 202@item 203If a facility in the modified Library refers to a function or a table of 204data to be supplied by an application program that uses the facility, 205other than as an argument passed when the facility is invoked, then you 206must make a good faith effort to ensure that, in the event an 207application does not supply such function or table, the facility still 208operates, and performs whatever part of its purpose remains meaningful. 209 210(For example, a function in a library to compute square roots has a 211purpose that is entirely well-defined independent of the application. 212Therefore, Subsection 2d requires that any application-supplied function 213or table used by this function must be optional: if the application does 214not supply it, the square root function must still compute square 215roots.) 216 217@end enumerate 218 219These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If 220identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Library, and 221can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in 222themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those 223sections when you distribute them as separate works. But when you 224distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based on 225the Library, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of this 226License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the entire 227whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it. 228 229Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest 230your rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to 231exercise the right to control the distribution of derivative or 232collective works based on the Library. 233 234In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Library 235with the Library (or with a work based on the Library) on a volume of a 236storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under the 237scope of this License. 238 239@sp 1 240@item 241You may opt to apply the terms of the ordinary GNU General Public 242License instead of this License to a given copy of the Library. To do 243this, you must alter all the notices that refer to this License, so that 244they refer to the ordinary GNU General Public License, version 2, 245instead of to this License. (If a newer version than version 2 of the 246ordinary GNU General Public License has appeared, then you can specify 247that version instead if you wish.) Do not make any other change in 248these notices. 249 250Once this change is made in a given copy, it is irreversible for that 251copy, so the ordinary GNU General Public License applies to all 252subsequent copies and derivative works made from that copy. 253 254This option is useful when you wish to copy part of the code of the 255Library into a program that is not a library. 256 257@sp 1 258@item 259You may copy and distribute the Library (or a portion or derivative of 260it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms 261of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you accompany it with the 262complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be 263distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium 264customarily used for software interchange. 265 266If distribution of object code is made by offering access to copy from a 267designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the source 268code from the same place satisfies the requirement to distribute the 269source code, even though third parties are not compelled to copy the 270source along with the object code. 271 272@sp 1 273@item 274A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library, but 275is designed to work with the Library by being compiled or linked with 276it, is called a ``work that uses the Library''. Such a work, in 277isolation, is not a derivative work of the Library, and therefore falls 278outside the scope of this License. 279 280However, linking a ``work that uses the Library'' with the Library creates 281an executable that is a derivative of the Library (because it contains 282portions of the Library), rather than a ``work that uses the library''. 283The executable is therefore covered by this License. Section 6 states 284terms for distribution of such executables. 285 286When a ``work that uses the Library'' uses material from a header file 287that is part of the Library, the object code for the work may be a 288derivative work of the Library even though the source code is not. 289Whether this is true is especially significant if the work can be linked 290without the Library, or if the work is itself a library. The threshold 291for this to be true is not precisely defined by law. 292 293If such an object file uses only numerical parameters, data structure 294layouts and accessors, and small macros and small inline functions (ten 295lines or less in length), then the use of the object file is 296unrestricted, regardless of whether it is legally a derivative work. 297(Executables containing this object code plus portions of the Library 298will still fall under Section 6.) 299 300Otherwise, if the work is a derivative of the Library, you may 301distribute the object code for the work under the terms of Section 6. 302Any executables containing that work also fall under Section 6, whether 303or not they are linked directly with the Library itself. 304 305@sp 1 306@item 307As an exception to the Sections above, you may also combine or link a 308``work that uses the Library'' with the Library to produce a work 309containing portions of the Library, and distribute that work under terms 310of your choice, provided that the terms permit modification of the work 311for the customer's own use and reverse engineering for debugging such 312modifications. 313 314You must give prominent notice with each copy of the work that the 315Library is used in it and that the Library and its use are covered by 316this License. You must supply a copy of this License. If the work 317during execution displays copyright notices, you must include the 318copyright notice for the Library among them, as well as a reference 319directing the user to the copy of this License. Also, you must do one 320of these things: 321 322@enumerate a 323 324@sp 1 325@item 326Accompany the work with the complete corresponding machine-readable 327source code for the Library including whatever changes were used in the 328work (which must be distributed under Sections 1 and 2 above); and, if 329the work is an executable linked with the Library, with the complete 330machine-readable ``work that uses the Library'', as object code and/or 331source code, so that the user can modify the Library and then relink to 332produce a modified executable containing the modified Library. (It is 333understood that the user who changes the contents of definitions files 334in the Library will not necessarily be able to recompile the application 335to use the modified definitions.) 336 337@sp 1 338@item 339Use a suitable shared library mechanism for linking with the Library. A 340suitable mechanism is one that (1) uses at run time a copy of the 341library already present on the user's computer system, rather than 342copying library functions into the executable, and (2) will operate 343properly with a modified version of the library, if the user installs 344one, as long as the modified version is interface-compatible with the 345version that the work was made with. 346 347@sp 1 348@item 349Accompany the work with a written offer, valid for at least three years, 350to give the same user the materials specified in Subsection 6a, above, 351for a charge no more than the cost of performing this distribution. 352 353@sp 1 354@item 355If distribution of the work is made by offering access to copy from a 356designated place, offer equivalent access to copy the above specified 357materials from the same place. 358 359@sp 1 360@item 361Verify that the user has already received a copy of these materials or 362that you have already sent this user a copy. 363 364@end enumerate 365 366For an executable, the required form of the ``work that uses the Library'' 367must include any data and utility programs needed for reproducing the 368executable from it. However, as a special exception, the materials to 369be distributed need not include anything that is normally distributed 370(in either source or binary form) with the major components (compiler, 371kernel, and so on) of the operating system on which the executable runs, 372unless that component itself accompanies the executable. 373 374It may happen that this requirement contradicts the license restrictions 375of other proprietary libraries that do not normally accompany the 376operating system. Such a contradiction means you cannot use both them 377and the Library together in an executable that you distribute. 378 379@sp 1 380@item 381You may place library facilities that are a work based on the Library 382side-by-side in a single library together with other library facilities 383not covered by this License, and distribute such a combined library, 384provided that the separate distribution of the work based on the Library 385and of the other library facilities is otherwise permitted, and provided 386that you do these two things: 387 388@enumerate a 389 390@sp 1 391@item 392Accompany the combined library with a copy of the same work based on the 393Library, uncombined with any other library facilities. This must be 394distributed under the terms of the Sections above. 395 396@sp 1 397@item 398Give prominent notice with the combined library of the fact that part of 399it is a work based on the Library, and explaining where to find the 400accompanying uncombined form of the same work. 401 402@end enumerate 403 404@sp 1 405@item 406You may not copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the 407Library except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt 408otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the 409Library is void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this 410License. However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you 411under this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as 412such parties remain in full compliance. 413 414@sp 1 415@item 416You are not required to accept this License, since you have not signed 417it. However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or distribute 418the Library or its derivative works. These actions are prohibited by 419law if you do not accept this License. Therefore, by modifying or 420distributing the Library (or any work based on the Library), you 421indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and all its terms and 422conditions for copying, distributing or modifying the Library or works 423based on it. 424 425@sp 1 426@item 427Each time you redistribute the Library (or any work based on the 428Library), the recipient automatically receives a license from the 429original licensor to copy, distribute, link with or modify the Library 430subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further 431restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. 432You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties with 433this License. 434 435@sp 1 436@item 437If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent 438infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues), 439conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or 440otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not 441excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot 442distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this 443License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you 444may not distribute the Library at all. For example, if a patent license 445would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Library by all those 446who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way 447you could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely 448from distribution of the Library. 449 450If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under 451any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to 452apply, and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other 453circumstances. 454 455It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any 456patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any 457such claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the 458integrity of the free software distribution system which is implemented 459by public license practices. Many people have made generous 460contributions to the wide range of software distributed through that 461system in reliance on consistent application of that system; it is up to 462the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing to distribute 463software through any other system and a licensee cannot impose that 464choice. 465 466This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to be 467a consequence of the rest of this License. 468 469@sp 1 470@item 471If the distribution and/or use of the Library is restricted in certain 472countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the original 473copyright holder who places the Library under this License may add an 474explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding those countries, 475so that distribution is permitted only in or among countries not thus 476excluded. In such case, this License incorporates the limitation as if 477written in the body of this License. 478 479@sp 1 480@item 481The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of 482the Lesser General Public License from time to time. Such new versions 483will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in 484detail to address new problems or concerns. 485 486Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Library 487specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and ``any 488later version'', you have the option of following the terms and 489conditions either of that version or of any later version published by 490the Free Software Foundation. If the Library does not specify a license 491version number, you may choose any version ever published by the Free 492Software Foundation. 493 494@sp 1 495@item 496If you wish to incorporate parts of the Library into other free programs 497whose distribution conditions are incompatible with these, write to the 498author to ask for permission. For software which is copyrighted by the 499Free Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we 500sometimes make exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided by the 501two goals of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free 502software and of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally. 503 504@sp 1 505@center NO WARRANTY 506@sp 1 507 508@item 509BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR 510THE LIBRARY, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN 511OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES 512PROVIDE THE LIBRARY ``AS IS'' WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER 513EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED 514WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE 515ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE LIBRARY IS WITH 516YOU. SHOULD THE LIBRARY PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL 517NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. 518 519@sp 1 520@item 521IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING 522WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR 523REDISTRIBUTE THE LIBRARY AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR 524DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL 525DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE LIBRARY 526(INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED 527INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF 528THE LIBRARY TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR 529OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. 530 531@end enumerate 532 533@sp 1 534@center END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS 535@sp 1 536@page 537@center How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries 538 539If you develop a new library, and you want it to be of the greatest 540possible use to the public, we recommend making it free software that 541everyone can redistribute and change. You can do so by permitting 542redistribution under these terms (or, alternatively, under the terms of 543the ordinary General Public License). 544 545To apply these terms, attach the following notices to the library. It 546is safest to attach them to the start of each source file to most 547effectively convey the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have 548at least the ``copyright'' line and a pointer to where the full notice is 549found. 550 551@format 552@t{ 553<one line to give the library's name and a brief idea of what it does.> 554Copyright (C) <year> <name of author> 555 556This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or 557modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public 558License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either 559version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. 560 561This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, 562but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of 563MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU 564Lesser General Public License for more details. 565 566You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public 567License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software 568Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA 569} 570@end format 571 572Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail. 573 574You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or your 575school, if any, to sign a ``copyright disclaimer'' for the library, if 576necessary. Here is a sample; alter the names: 577 578@format 579@t{ 580Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright interest in the 581library `Frob' (a library for tweaking knobs) written by James Random Hacker. 582 583<signature of Ty Coon>, 1 April 1990 584Ty Coon, President of Vice 585} 586@end format 587 588That's all there is to it! 589 590@c @bye 591