[Python-Dev] (libffi) Re: Copyright issue

[Anthony Green]

On Fri, 2006-01-27 at 18:03 +0100, Thomas Heller wrote:
> [I've added python-dev to cc:]
> 
> Anthony Green <green at redhat.com> writes:
> 
> > On Fri, 2006-01-27 at 17:08 +0100, Thomas Heller wrote:
> >> Anyway, another question is: Is aclocal.m4 needed at all for building
> >> (or maybe for regenerating the configure scripts), or is it optional?
> >
> > aclocal.m4 is required, but is only used as a build-time tool.  The fact
> > that aclocal.m4 is distributed under the GPL should have no impact on
> > the licensing terms used for software built using aclocal.m4.
> 
> If I understand correctly this means that the Python source distribution
> would have to be GPL licensed, while the built programs would be able to
> use another license.
> 
> I'm pretty sure this kills the whole idea (to include libffi in python).

I guess I wasn't clear.  aclocal.m4 is just a tool used to build libffi.
Like your C compiler.  Bundling it with the Python source distribution
should have no impact on the licensing of Python itself, since it isn't
really part of the resulting Python binary - just like your C compiler
isn't.

AG