Re: ddraw.h, dinput.h and dsound.h in Cygwin/MinGW

Earnie Boyd wrote:
> Alexandre Julliard wrote:
>> the LGPL either. What is the problem you see with the LGPL?
>
> Because headers are source code and using the headers infects my
> source code with GPL by default.

There is a world of difference between the GPL and the LGPL.

With the LGPL you differentiate between works that /use/ and
works /based/ on the LGPL code. Applications/libraries compiled
against w32api is /using/ it, they're not /based/ on it. And
because the content of the header files in question fall into
this category listed in the LGPL: "numerical parameters, data
structure layouts and accessors, and small macros and small
inline functions (ten lines or less in length)", these
apps/libs that are /using/ the headers are "unrestricted,
regardless of whether it is legally a derivative work"

I.e. apps/libs /using/ these LGPL headers are not inheriting
the LGPL.

Works /based/ on the w32api will be as you say, infected. But
the remedy for those works is simple enough, they only need to
remove the LGPL files in question before they make a public
release.

Cheers,
Peter