MacOSX licensing issues (was Re: Samba into kernel on )

[The DJ]

>> This is a "special exception" and is not really allowed by the other parts
>> of the GPL. You couldn't distribute (use/compile?) samba for Solaris
>> without this exception because the libc would be mapped into the memory
>> space and added to the program.
>> 
>> The GPL regards the program + the linked libs as one "work".

This last line made me think. Apple is using an adapted version of samba in
their MacosX Server. They have released the code, but it appears this code
is linked to an internal private framework (libary). Therefore the code is
actually useless.

Are they required to GPL these frameworks aswell? If so, then this would be
great for the mac platform. Then we can finally get that NetInfo
authentication into samba in a nice and transparent way.

On the other hand, I see Apple ripping the whole of Samba out of the OS for
that reason. They don't like to opensource non Darwin code.

DJ

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Universiteit Twente
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derk-Jan 'The DJ' Hartman
ICQnr: 10111559
Mail:  mailto:hartman at mac.com
WWW:   http://home.student.utwente.nl/d.hartman/
Goto:  http://xamba.sourceforge.net