Re: GDB with Macraigors Raven

[DJ Delorie <dj at redhat dot com>]

"Peter Reilley" <micrio@mv.com> writes:
> The DLL and libraries are proprietary but Macraigor is making them 
> available for free.

Cost is irrelevent.  If the DLL can't be distributed under the terms
of the GNU GPL, then a work consisting of that DLL and GPL'd sources
(such as gdb) simply cannot be distributed at all.

GDB is a copyrighted work.  It has redistribution terms and usage
licenses, just like any other work.  These terms require certain
things, one of which is that you can't mix it with proprietary code
and then redistribute it.  If you *do* mix it with proprietary code,
then you lose the right to redistribute its sources.

> How do I know this?  I work for them and am doing the work on GDB
> and Insight for them.

If you have a copy of gdb that requires that proprietary dll, then you
are not legally allowed to redistribute that copy of gdb - either in
source or binary form.

Specifically, GPL section 2 states:

  "But when you distribute the same sections as part of a whole which
   is a work based on the Program, the distribution of the whole must
   be on the terms of this License, whose permissions for other
   licensees extend to the entire whole, and thus to each and every
   part regardless of who wrote it."