[fpc-pascal] TDBF licensing

[Jonas Maebe]

On 30/06/15 00:09, Graeme Geldenhuys wrote:
> Am I correct in understanding that TDBF included with FPC is a LGPL
> licensed component, the one that doesn't have the static linking
> exception.

TDBF originally comes from http://sourceforge.net/projects/tdbf/ and is
indeed distributed under the LGPL.

> So I can't use it in any commercial products or tools without
> being forced to release all my source code?

It doesn't matter whether the products or tools are commercial or not.
The LGPL means that if you link statically against TDBF, you have to
provide (on request) the object files of your program to customers that
bought the original tool so they can relink it against newer/modified
versions of the TDBF code.

There is no reason why you would ever have to release your own source
code, except if you would start mixing your own source code into the
TDBF units or so.


Jonas