Use Emacs as the IDE for Wolfram Mathematica.

[Christopher Dimech]

> Sent: Monday, May 24, 2021 at 11:31 PM
> From: "Jean Louis" <bugs@gnu.support>
> To: "Christopher Dimech" <dimech@gmx.com>
> Cc: moasenwood@zoho.eu, help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Use Emacs as the IDE for Wolfram Mathematica.
>
> * Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com> [2021-05-24 12:35]:
> > > (✿╹◡╹) Maybe misconception is on my side or your side, I believe it is
> > > in your side.
> > 
> > Read more ;)
> 
> > > gcc is free compiler, and people could make proprietary software with
> > > it. But such proprietary software does not change the gcc and not
> > > necessarily depend on gcc to get run, but as soon as it depend on some
> > > GPL component, then it cannot be made proprietary.
> > 
> > The license only limits you on what you can distribute, nothing
> > else.
> 
> It limits you, among other limitations, to distribute free software
> program as combined with proprietary program.
> 
> It limits you, among other limitations, to make a combined program
> with a free software program, unless the free software program is
> licensed under the LGPL.
> 
> Otherwise you cannot make proprietary program combined with GPL-ed
> program.

Correct, only when combined.  
 
> > > Now CLISP, Guile, and other programming languages may be GNU GPL
> > > software. When you make a program to be run by Guile, CLISP, those
> > > programs could be proprietary software as they do not change nor
> > > modify the Guile, nor CLISP. They are just executed by free
> > > software. But the overall result depends of components used in the
> > > program, you cannot just include GPL components as you wish and want
> > > in your proprietary program.
> > > 
> > > Would the Emacs Lisp program be exclusively run from command line as
> > > run by Emacs as programming language then such program could be
> > > licensed as proprietary software. But that also would depend if your
> > > program is using the GPL components or not, which most probably would
> > > use.
> > > 
> > > (⌐■_■) So the question is answered here:
> > > https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#IfInterpreterIsGPL
> > > 
> > > If you just interpret the Emacs Lisp, it is fine, but question is, do
> > > you bind to GPL components? Most probably you do.
> > > 
> > > Would you make an Emacs Lisp program that does not bind to any of the
> > > GPL components then such program could be proprietary. But if you do
> > > bind to any components, it cannot be proprietary.
> > 
> > > For example, if you do something like:
> > > 
> > > (require 'seq)
> > 
> > You can certainly do that as long as you do not distribute seq with it in
> > a proprietary blob.  What you cannot do is limit what people can do with
> > seq.
> 
> People can do anything, we speak what is allowed by the license, now
> what one can do. The license of a GPL program does not allow making a
> combined program with it and not license it under same terms.

I was not talking about combined programs.  I was discussing writing
a package distributed separately with a proprietary license. 
 
> I am asking you to make your homework first, as it is not good
> spreading misleading information on the mailing list that remains in
> the public forever.

It is not misleading as you state.
 
> Read:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License
> 
> Quote:
> 
> The GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) is a free-software
> license published by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The license
> allows developers and companies to use and integrate a software
> component released under the LGPL into their own (even proprietary)
> software without being required by the terms of a strong copyleft
> license to release the source code of their own components. However,
> any developer who modifies an LGPL-covered component is required to
> make their modified version available under the same LGPL license. For
> proprietary software, code under the LGPL is usually used in the form
> of a shared library, so that there is a clear separation between the
> proprietary and LGPL components. The LGPL is primarily used for
> software libraries, although it is also used by some stand-alone
> applications. 
> 
> Read:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License#Differences_from_the_GPL
> 
> Emacs is not LGPL, and license does not allow combining code with
> proprietary programs. So, no, you cannot require 'seq or any other
> Emacs library in a proprietary program without violation of the GPL.
> 
> -- 
> Jean
> 
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