From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Richard Stallman Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: A plea for dynamically loadable extension modules Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:20:24 -0400 Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: <87wue0i51a.fsf@lexx.delysid.org> <871xw8i3tr.fsf@tapsellferrier.co.uk> <200307301313.WAA06615@etlken.m17n.org> Reply-To: rms@gnu.org NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1059704615 31249 80.91.224.249 (1 Aug 2003 02:23:35 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 02:23:35 +0000 (UTC) Cc: mlang@delysid.org, nferrier@tapsellferrier.co.uk, emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Fri Aug 01 04:23:28 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from quimby.gnus.org ([80.91.224.244]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 19iPYv-00084L-00 for ; Fri, 01 Aug 2003 04:22:33 +0200 Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by quimby.gnus.org with esmtp (Exim 3.12 #1 (Debian)) id 19iPbe-0008KW-00 for ; Fri, 01 Aug 2003 04:25:22 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.20) id 19iPXc-00080w-6c for emacs-devel@quimby.gnus.org; Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:21:12 -0400 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.20) id 19iPXF-0007XI-F7 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:20:49 -0400 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.20) id 19iPX3-00078S-Of for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:20:39 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.164] (helo=fencepost.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.20) id 19iPWr-0006wr-0x for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:20:25 -0400 Original-Received: from rms by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.20) id 19iPWq-00042N-F9; Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:20:24 -0400 Original-To: Kenichi Handa In-reply-to: <200307301313.WAA06615@etlken.m17n.org> (message from Kenichi Handa on Wed, 30 Jul 2003 22:13:49 +0900 (JST)) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2 Precedence: list List-Id: Emacs development discussions. List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+emacs-devel=quimby.gnus.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:15762 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:15762 So, as far as Emacs is linked with X (by regarding X library as something fundamental one as libc), it's impossible to guarantee the above condition. I think that dynamic linking of these plug-ins that are meant for use with X does not entail any violation of the GPL, because these plug-ins do not relate specifically to Emacs in any way. If the plug-in relates specifically to Emacs, then our position is that it constitutes an Emacs extension and has to be covered by the GPL. However, it would be nice not to have to go to court about that, and if we don't have dynamic linking then we won't have to.