Hi,
I have not found something that tells me whether I can distribute the Ruby
DLL with a freeware of my own. Could someone please help me whether I would
need to tell the users that they need to install the whole package, or
whether it’s enough to include the ruby (1.8 or 1.6) DLL in my setup.
Thanks,
Christian
Hi,
I have not found something that tells me whether I can distribute the Ruby
DLL with a freeware of my own. Could someone please help me whether I would
need to tell the users that they need to install the whole package, or
whether it’s enough to include the ruby (1.8 or 1.6) DLL in my setup.
Thanks,
Christian
You can view the copyright notice that is distributed with ruby from
cvs:
http://www.ruby-lang.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/ruby/COPYING?
rev=1.1.1.2.6.4;content-type=text%2Fplain
The breakdown is, that you can either distribute Ruby via GPL or Ruby’s
own license, detailed in the file. IANAL, but it appears that Ruby’s
license will allow what you are wanting to do. However…
IIRC, Ruby’s original regexp engine is GPL’d… If, however, you
compile it to use Onigurama instead, there should be no problem from
that end. I think any version of Ruby 1.6.x and up can be compiled to
use Onigurama instead of the original engine.
HTH,
–Mark
On Apr 26, 2004, at 2:14 PM, Christian Kaiser wrote:
Hi,
I have not found something that tells me whether I can distribute the
Ruby
DLL with a freeware of my own. Could someone please help me whether I
would
need to tell the users that they need to install the whole package, or
whether it’s enough to include the ruby (1.8 or 1.6) DLL in my setup.
Mark,
you’re talking Outlandish here. I’m a Ruby user, not a Ruby developer :))) I
just want to incorporate Ruby as a scripting language in a (freeware) spam
processor.
I don’t know Onigurama. I installed Ruby 1.6.8 and 1.8.1 (the latter DLL is
not as good as the 1.6.8 one, so I’d prefer 1.6.8). I would not like to
compile Ruby myself if I can help it. Ruby is shipped with a DLL for
Windows, and I don’t know which parts are in the DLL yet.
Is that a strange question? I thought it might be quite frequent.
Christian
I have not found something that tells me whether I can distribute the
Ruby
DLL with a freeware of my own. Could someone please help me whether I
would
need to tell the users that they need to install the whole package, or
whether it’s enough to include the ruby (1.8 or 1.6) DLL in my setup.The breakdown is, that you can either distribute Ruby via GPL or Ruby’s
own license, detailed in the file. IANAL, but it appears that Ruby’s
license will allow what you are wanting to do. However…IIRC, Ruby’s original regexp engine is GPL’d… If, however, you
compile it to use Onigurama instead, there should be no problem from
that end. I think any version of Ruby 1.6.x and up can be compiled to
use Onigurama instead of the original engine.
Hi,
I’m a Ruby user, not a Ruby developer :))) I just want to
incorporate Ruby as a scripting language in a (freeware) spam
processor.I don’t know Onigurama. I installed Ruby 1.6.8 and 1.8.1 (the latter DLL is
not as good as the 1.6.8 one, so I’d prefer 1.6.8). I would not like to
compile Ruby myself if I can help it. Ruby is shipped with a DLL for
Windows, and I don’t know which parts are in the DLL yet.
[Std disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer…]
Since your project is freeware, if you were to release your project
under Ruby’s open source license, or the GPL, then I would expect all
the distribution requirements associated with the DLL would be
automatically satisfied.
If you don’t want to release it open source, I still think it’s
OK to distribute the DLL. The non-Oniguruma regex engine in
Ruby is LGPL. (GNU Lesser Public License). As I understand
the LGPL, its requirements would be met by your providing a
link to a website, in your documentation, where the user could
download the ruby source, and rebuild the DLL themselves if
they wanted to. My understanding of the LGPL is that it requires
that the end user be able to freely obtain the source code
covered by the LGPL (ruby’s regex.c) and that the end user be
able to recompile and re-link such that they are able to make
changes to the LGPL part of the code, and use their modified
version with your program.
That’s why I think distributing the ruby DLL with your app should
be no problem. Because the user can always download the ruby
source (including the LGPL regex.c) and make their own changes,
recompile it, and use their new DLL with your program instead of
the one you shipped. I believe that satisfies the LGPL’s
requirements…
That said, I could be wrong. That’s how I understand it…
If anyone knows differently, please do correct me…
Regards,
Bill
Mark,
you’re talking Outlandish here. I’m a Ruby user, not a Ruby developer
:))) I
just want to incorporate Ruby as a scripting language in a (freeware)
spam
processor.
Ahhh 
sorry. Didn’t mean to speak Outlandish to you 
I don’t know Onigurama. I installed Ruby 1.6.8 and 1.8.1 (the latter
DLL is
not as good as the 1.6.8 one, so I’d prefer 1.6.8). I would not like to
compile Ruby myself if I can help it. Ruby is shipped with a DLL for
Windows, and I don’t know which parts are in the DLL yet.Is that a strange question? I thought it might be quite frequent.
Never seen it here before, but it’s not a strange question either.
Checking it out again, Ruby's regexp engine is LGPL(Library GNU Public License), not GPL. This should mean that it is safe for distribution as a dll. So, yes, you can distribute it. Just make sure to put a link to the ruby website, where they can download ruby's source code. That should do it.cheers,
–Mark
On Apr 26, 2004, at 3:34 PM, Christian Kaiser wrote:
Bill,
thanks for getting back to me. Yes this happens to me too - LGPL etc sound
very complicated, and they are easy to understand if you do the standard
(modifying the code). But if you do anything else, you would need a lawyer.
Well I cross my fingers I’m doing the correct thing :))
Christian
Mark,
thank you too!
Christian