I want to write a program that is for sale without releasing all of the source code. Some of it is fine but parts are proprietary. Does it matter if I dynamically link the rtlsdr library? -Richard On Mon, Apr 15, 2019, 8:45 PM Greg Troxel <gdt(a)lexort.com> wrote: > Richard Frye <richard(a)codingstudios.com> writes: > > > If I write software that uses the rtlsdr library that is already > installed > > on the computer, does my software also have to be opensource? > > IANAL, TINLA. > > rtl-sdr and osmo-sdr both appear to be GNU GPLv2. > > The standard interpretation is that if you create a derived work by > writing a program that uses those libraries, then distributing that > derived work requires permission from the copyright holders of the used > libraries. And, that permission is only available if you license your > work under the same license, GPLv2. That is the point of the license. > > If you want to write software and not distribute it at all, that's > another matter, and the standard interpetation is that this is ok. > > What are you trying to write, and what are you thinking about for > licensing, other than GPLv2? > >

On Apr 16, 2019, at 6:50 AM, Tom Swartz <tom(a)tswartz.net> wrote: Not a lawyer, caveats abound, and all that, but; Excerpt from GPL's licence FAQ: The program dynamically links plug-ins, and they make function calls to each other and share data structures, we believe they form a single program, which must be treated as an extension of both the main program and the plug-ins. This means that combination of the GPL-covered plug-in with the non-free main program would violate the GPL. So, it sounds like either way you're likely to need to release under GPL or find a different library. http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#IfInterpreterIsGPL > On Tue, Apr 16, 2019, 07:36 Richard Frye <richard(a)codingstudios.com> wrote: > I want to write a program that is for sale without releasing all of the source code. Some of it is fine but parts are proprietary. Does it matter if I dynamically link the rtlsdr library? > > -Richard > >> On Mon, Apr 15, 2019, 8:45 PM Greg Troxel <gdt(a)lexort.com> wrote: >> Richard Frye <richard(a)codingstudios.com> writes: >> >> > If I write software that uses the rtlsdr library that is already installed >> > on the computer, does my software also have to be opensource? >> >> IANAL, TINLA. >> >> rtl-sdr and osmo-sdr both appear to be GNU GPLv2. >> >> The standard interpretation is that if you create a derived work by >> writing a program that uses those libraries, then distributing that >> derived work requires permission from the copyright holders of the used >> libraries. And, that permission is only available if you license your >> work under the same license, GPLv2. That is the point of the license. >> >> If you want to write software and not distribute it at all, that's >> another matter, and the standard interpetation is that this is ok. >> >> What are you trying to write, and what are you thinking about for >> licensing, other than GPLv2? >>

I want to write a program that is for sale without releasing all of the source code. Some of it is fine but parts are proprietary. Does it matter if I dynamically link the rtlsdr library?

Hello Richard, have a look at rtl_tcp. You would need users to run rtl_tcp and then you should be able to get the data from the network with your own proprietary software. I have no experience with rtl_tcp, but it it would not do precisely what you want you can modify it and make your modified version available with an opensource license. As I understand things: Once the data is on your local network it has left the world of open source and you should be free to process it whatever way you want. Regards Leif > If I write software that uses the rtlsdr library that is already installed > on the computer, does my software also have to be opensource? > > Thanks, > Richard