spdx.org Open in urlscan Pro
2600:9000:24f8:1c00:18:2003:bfc0:93a1  Public Scan

Submitted URL: https://email.snyk.io/c/eJyUkM1qwzAQhJ9GuhQbebXWxgcd3ASXQiiBQnpey3Ij4j8cJ23evjgNPuTUXnQYzbAzn-N24PDZWUHPAqDj1gsAoXMB8O...
Effective URL: https://spdx.org/licenses/LGPL-2.1-only.html
Submission: On August 01 via api from US — Scanned from DE

Form analysis 0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Linux Foundation Collaborative Projects


SOFTWARE PACKAGE DATA EXCHANGE (SPDX)


Home » Licenses


GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE V2.1 ONLY

false


FULL NAME

GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1 only


SHORT IDENTIFIER

LGPL-2.1-only


OTHER WEB PAGES FOR THIS LICENSE

 * https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1-standalone.html
 * https://opensource.org/licenses/LGPL-2.1 [no longer live]

true


NOTES

This license was released: February 1999. This license identifier refers to the
choice to use the code under LGPL-2.1-only, as distinguished from use of code
under LGPL-2.1-or-later (i.e., LGPL-2.1 or some later version). The license
notice (as seen in the Standard License Header field below) states which of
these applies to the code in the file. The example in the exhibit to the license
shows the license notice for the "or later" approach.


TEXT

GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE

Version 2.1, February 1999

Copyright (C) 1991, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA

Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license
document, but changing it is not allowed.

[This is the first released version of the Lesser GPL. It also counts as the
successor of the GNU Library Public License, version 2, hence the version number
2.1.]

Preamble

The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share
and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public Licenses are intended to
guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the
software is free for all its users.

This license, the Lesser General Public License, applies to some specially
designated software packages--typically libraries--of the Free Software
Foundation and other authors who decide to use it. You can use it too, but we
suggest you first think carefully about whether this license or the ordinary
General Public License is the better strategy to use in any particular case,
based on the explanations below.

When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom of use, not price.
Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom
to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish);
that you receive source code or can get it if you want it; that you can change
the software and use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you are
informed that you can do these things.

To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid distributors to
deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender these rights. These
restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you distribute
copies of the library or if you modify it.

For example, if you distribute copies of the library, whether gratis or for a
fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that we gave you. You must make
sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. If you link other code
with the library, you must provide complete object files to the recipients, so
that they can relink them with the library after making changes to the library
and recompiling it. And you must show them these terms so they know their
rights.

We protect your rights with a two-step method: (1) we copyright the library, and
(2) we offer you this license, which gives you legal permission to copy,
distribute and/or modify the library.

To protect each distributor, we want to make it very clear that there is no
warranty for the free library. Also, if the library is modified by someone else
and passed on, the recipients should know that what they have is not the
original version, so that the original author's reputation will not be affected
by problems that might be introduced by others.

Finally, software patents pose a constant threat to the existence of any free
program. We wish to make sure that a company cannot effectively restrict the
users of a free program by obtaining a restrictive license from a patent holder.
Therefore, we insist that any patent license obtained for a version of the
library must be consistent with the full freedom of use specified in this
license.

Most GNU software, including some libraries, is covered by the ordinary GNU
General Public License. This license, the GNU Lesser General Public License,
applies to certain designated libraries, and is quite different from the
ordinary General Public License. We use this license for certain libraries in
order to permit linking those libraries into non-free programs.

When a program is linked with a library, whether statically or using a shared
library, the combination of the two is legally speaking a combined work, a
derivative of the original library. The ordinary General Public License
therefore permits such linking only if the entire combination fits its criteria
of freedom. The Lesser General Public License permits more lax criteria for
linking other code with the library.

We call this license the "Lesser" General Public License because it does Less to
protect the user's freedom than the ordinary General Public License. It also
provides other free software developers Less of an advantage over competing
non-free programs. These disadvantages are the reason we use the ordinary
General Public License for many libraries. However, the Lesser license provides
advantages in certain special circumstances.

For example, on rare occasions, there may be a special need to encourage the
widest possible use of a certain library, so that it becomes a de-facto
standard. To achieve this, non-free programs must be allowed to use the library.
A more frequent case is that a free library does the same job as widely used
non-free libraries. In this case, there is little to gain by limiting the free
library to free software only, so we use the Lesser General Public License.

In other cases, permission to use a particular library in non-free programs
enables a greater number of people to use a large body of free software. For
example, permission to use the GNU C Library in non-free programs enables many
more people to use the whole GNU operating system, as well as its variant, the
GNU/Linux operating system.

Although the Lesser General Public License is Less protective of the users'
freedom, it does ensure that the user of a program that is linked with the
Library has the freedom and the wherewithal to run that program using a modified
version of the Library.

The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and modification
follow. Pay close attention to the difference between a "work based on the
library" and a "work that uses the library". The former contains code derived
from the library, whereas the latter must be combined with the library in order
to run.

GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION

 * 0. This License Agreement applies to any software library or other program
   which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder or other authorized
   party saying it may be distributed under the terms of this Lesser General
   Public License (also called "this License"). Each licensee is addressed as
   "you".
   
   A "library" means a collection of software functions and/or data prepared so
   as to be conveniently linked with application programs (which use some of
   those functions and data) to form executables.
   
   The "Library", below, refers to any such software library or work which has
   been distributed under these terms. A "work based on the Library" means
   either the Library or any derivative work under copyright law: that is to
   say, a work containing the Library or a portion of it, either verbatim or
   with modifications and/or translated straightforwardly into another language.
   (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in the term
   "modification".)
   
   "Source code" for a work means the preferred form of the work for making
   modifications to it. For a library, complete source code means all the source
   code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition
   files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the
   library.
   
   Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered
   by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running a program
   using the Library is not restricted, and output from such a program is
   covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Library
   (independent of the use of the Library in a tool for writing it). Whether
   that is true depends on what the Library does and what the program that uses
   the Library does.

 * 1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Library's complete
   source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously
   and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and
   disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this
   License and to the absence of any warranty; and distribute a copy of this
   License along with the Library.
   
   You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may
   at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.

 * 2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Library or any portion of it,
   thus forming a work based on the Library, and copy and distribute such
   modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that you
   also meet all of these conditions:
   * a) The modified work must itself be a software library.
   * b) You must cause the files modified to carry prominent notices stating
     that you changed the files and the date of any change.
   * c) You must cause the whole of the work to be licensed at no charge to all
     third parties under the terms of this License.
   * d) If a facility in the modified Library refers to a function or a table of
     data to be supplied by an application program that uses the facility, other
     than as an argument passed when the facility is invoked, then you must make
     a good faith effort to ensure that, in the event an application does not
     supply such function or table, the facility still operates, and performs
     whatever part of its purpose remains meaningful.
   
   (For example, a function in a library to compute square roots has a purpose
   that is entirely well-defined independent of the application. Therefore,
   Subsection 2d requires that any application-supplied function or table used
   by this function must be optional: if the application does not supply it, the
   square root function must still compute square roots.)
   
   These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If identifiable
   sections of that work are not derived from the Library, and can be reasonably
   considered independent and separate works in themselves, then this License,
   and its terms, do not apply to those sections when you distribute them as
   separate works. But when you distribute the same sections as part of a whole
   which is a work based on the Library, the distribution of the whole must be
   on the terms of this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to
   the entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it.
   
   Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest your
   rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to exercise the
   right to control the distribution of derivative or collective works based on
   the Library.
   
   In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Library with
   the Library (or with a work based on the Library) on a volume of a storage or
   distribution medium does not bring the other work under the scope of this
   License.

 * 3. You may opt to apply the terms of the ordinary GNU General Public License
   instead of this License to a given copy of the Library. To do this, you must
   alter all the notices that refer to this License, so that they refer to the
   ordinary GNU General Public License, version 2, instead of to this License.
   (If a newer version than version 2 of the ordinary GNU General Public License
   has appeared, then you can specify that version instead if you wish.) Do not
   make any other change in these notices.
   
   Once this change is made in a given copy, it is irreversible for that copy,
   so the ordinary GNU General Public License applies to all subsequent copies
   and derivative works made from that copy.
   
   This option is useful when you wish to copy part of the code of the Library
   into a program that is not a library.

 * 4. You may copy and distribute the Library (or a portion or derivative of it,
   under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
   Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you accompany it with the complete
   corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under
   the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software
   interchange.
   
   If distribution of object code is made by offering access to copy from a
   designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the source code
   from the same place satisfies the requirement to distribute the source code,
   even though third parties are not compelled to copy the source along with the
   object code.

 * 5. A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library, but
   is designed to work with the Library by being compiled or linked with it, is
   called a "work that uses the Library". Such a work, in isolation, is not a
   derivative work of the Library, and therefore falls outside the scope of this
   License.
   
   However, linking a "work that uses the Library" with the Library creates an
   executable that is a derivative of the Library (because it contains portions
   of the Library), rather than a "work that uses the library". The executable
   is therefore covered by this License. Section 6 states terms for distribution
   of such executables.
   
   When a "work that uses the Library" uses material from a header file that is
   part of the Library, the object code for the work may be a derivative work of
   the Library even though the source code is not. Whether this is true is
   especially significant if the work can be linked without the Library, or if
   the work is itself a library. The threshold for this to be true is not
   precisely defined by law.
   
   If such an object file uses only numerical parameters, data structure layouts
   and accessors, and small macros and small inline functions (ten lines or less
   in length), then the use of the object file is unrestricted, regardless of
   whether it is legally a derivative work. (Executables containing this object
   code plus portions of the Library will still fall under Section 6.)
   
   Otherwise, if the work is a derivative of the Library, you may distribute the
   object code for the work under the terms of Section 6. Any executables
   containing that work also fall under Section 6, whether or not they are
   linked directly with the Library itself.

 * 6. As an exception to the Sections above, you may also combine or link a
   "work that uses the Library" with the Library to produce a work containing
   portions of the Library, and distribute that work under terms of your choice,
   provided that the terms permit modification of the work for the customer's
   own use and reverse engineering for debugging such modifications.
   
   You must give prominent notice with each copy of the work that the Library is
   used in it and that the Library and its use are covered by this License. You
   must supply a copy of this License. If the work during execution displays
   copyright notices, you must include the copyright notice for the Library
   among them, as well as a reference directing the user to the copy of this
   License. Also, you must do one of these things:
   
   * a) Accompany the work with the complete corresponding machine-readable
     source code for the Library including whatever changes were used in the
     work (which must be distributed under Sections 1 and 2 above); and, if the
     work is an executable linked with the Library, with the complete
     machine-readable "work that uses the Library", as object code and/or source
     code, so that the user can modify the Library and then relink to produce a
     modified executable containing the modified Library. (It is understood that
     the user who changes the contents of definitions files in the Library will
     not necessarily be able to recompile the application to use the modified
     definitions.)
   * b) Use a suitable shared library mechanism for linking with the Library. A
     suitable mechanism is one that (1) uses at run time a copy of the library
     already present on the user's computer system, rather than copying library
     functions into the executable, and (2) will operate properly with a
     modified version of the library, if the user installs one, as long as the
     modified version is interface-compatible with the version that the work was
     made with.
   * c) Accompany the work with a written offer, valid for at least three years,
     to give the same user the materials specified in Subsection 6a, above, for
     a charge no more than the cost of performing this distribution.
   * d) If distribution of the work is made by offering access to copy from a
     designated place, offer equivalent access to copy the above specified
     materials from the same place.
   * e) Verify that the user has already received a copy of these materials or
     that you have already sent this user a copy.
   
   For an executable, the required form of the "work that uses the Library" must
   include any data and utility programs needed for reproducing the executable
   from it. However, as a special exception, the materials to be distributed
   need not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or
   binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
   operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component itself
   accompanies the executable.
   
   It may happen that this requirement contradicts the license restrictions of
   other proprietary libraries that do not normally accompany the operating
   system. Such a contradiction means you cannot use both them and the Library
   together in an executable that you distribute.

 * 7. You may place library facilities that are a work based on the Library
   side-by-side in a single library together with other library facilities not
   covered by this License, and distribute such a combined library, provided
   that the separate distribution of the work based on the Library and of the
   other library facilities is otherwise permitted, and provided that you do
   these two things:
   * a) Accompany the combined library with a copy of the same work based on the
     Library, uncombined with any other library facilities. This must be
     distributed under the terms of the Sections above.
   * b) Give prominent notice with the combined library of the fact that part of
     it is a work based on the Library, and explaining where to find the
     accompanying uncombined form of the same work.
 * 8. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the Library
   except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt otherwise to
   copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the Library is void, and
   will automatically terminate your rights under this License. However, parties
   who have received copies, or rights, from you under this License will not
   have their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full
   compliance.
 * 9. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not signed it.
   However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or distribute the
   Library or its derivative works. These actions are prohibited by law if you
   do not accept this License. Therefore, by modifying or distributing the
   Library (or any work based on the Library), you indicate your acceptance of
   this License to do so, and all its terms and conditions for copying,
   distributing or modifying the Library or works based on it.
 * 10. Each time you redistribute the Library (or any work based on the
   Library), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original
   licensor to copy, distribute, link with or modify the Library subject to
   these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on
   the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not
   responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties with this License.
 * 11. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
   infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues),
   conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or
   otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not excuse
   you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot distribute so as to
   satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other
   pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute the
   Library at all. For example, if a patent license would not permit
   royalty-free redistribution of the Library by all those who receive copies
   directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both
   it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the
   Library.
   
   If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under any
   particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to apply, and
   the section as a whole is intended to apply in other circumstances.
   
   It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any patents
   or other property right claims or to contest validity of any such claims;
   this section has the sole purpose of protecting the integrity of the free
   software distribution system which is implemented by public license
   practices. Many people have made generous contributions to the wide range of
   software distributed through that system in reliance on consistent
   application of that system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or
   she is willing to distribute software through any other system and a licensee
   cannot impose that choice.
   
   This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to be a
   consequence of the rest of this License.

 * 12. If the distribution and/or use of the Library is restricted in certain
   countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the original
   copyright holder who places the Library under this License may add an
   explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding those countries, so
   that distribution is permitted only in or among countries not thus excluded.
   In such case, this License incorporates the limitation as if written in the
   body of this License.
 * 13. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of
   the Lesser General Public License from time to time. Such new versions will
   be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to
   address new problems or concerns.
   
   Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Library
   specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any later
   version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of
   that version or of any later version published by the Free Software
   Foundation. If the Library does not specify a license version number, you may
   choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation.

 * 14. If you wish to incorporate parts of the Library into other free programs
   whose distribution conditions are incompatible with these, write to the
   author to ask for permission. For software which is copyrighted by the Free
   Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes make
   exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided by the two goals of
   preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and of
   promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally.
   
   NO WARRANTY

 * 15. BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR
   THE LIBRARY, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE
   STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE
   LIBRARY "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED,
   INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
   FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND
   PERFORMANCE OF THE LIBRARY IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE LIBRARY PROVE DEFECTIVE,
   YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
 * 16. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
   WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
   REDISTRIBUTE THE LIBRARY AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES,
   INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING
   OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE LIBRARY (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
   LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR
   THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE LIBRARY TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER
   SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
   POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries

If you develop a new library, and you want it to be of the greatest possible use
to the public, we recommend making it free software that everyone can
redistribute and change. You can do so by permitting redistribution under these
terms (or, alternatively, under the terms of the ordinary General Public
License).

To apply these terms, attach the following notices to the library. It is safest
to attach them to the start of each source file to most effectively convey the
exclusion of warranty; and each file should have at least the "copyright" line
and a pointer to where the full notice is found.

<one line to give the library's name and an idea of what it does. >
Copyright (C) <year > <name of author >

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any
later version.

This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along
with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51
Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Also add information on
how to contact you by electronic and paper mail.

You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or your school,
if any, to sign a "copyright disclaimer" for the library, if necessary. Here is
a sample; alter the names:

Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright interest in
the library `Frob' (a library for tweaking knobs) written
by James Random Hacker.

<signature of Ty Coon >, 1 April 1990
Ty Coon, President of Vice
That's all there is to it!


STANDARD LICENSE HEADER

Copyright (C) year name of author

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
Software Foundation; version 2.1.

This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along
with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51
Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA

<<beginOptional>>GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2.1, February 1999
<<endOptional>> Copyright (C) 1991, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 51
Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Everyone is permitted to
copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is
not allowed. [This is the first released version of the Lesser GPL. It also
counts as the successor of the GNU Library Public License, version 2, hence the
version number 2.1.] Preamble The licenses for most software are designed to
take away your freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General
Public Licenses are intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free
software--to make sure the software is free for all its users. This license, the
Lesser General Public License, applies to some specially designated software
packages--typically libraries--of the Free Software Foundation and other authors
who decide to use it. You can use it too, but we suggest you first think
carefully about whether this license or the ordinary General Public License is
the better strategy to use in any particular case, based on the explanations
below. When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom of use, not
price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the
freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if
you wish); that you receive source code or can get it if you want it; that you
can change the software and use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you
are informed that you can do these things. To protect your rights, we need to
make restrictions that forbid distributors to deny you these rights or to ask
you to surrender these rights. These restrictions translate to certain
responsibilities for you if you distribute copies of the library or if you
modify it. For example, if you distribute copies of the library, whether gratis
or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that we gave you. You
must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. If you link
other code with the library, you must provide complete object files to the
recipients, so that they can relink them with the library after making changes
to the library and recompiling it. And you must show them these terms so they
know their rights. We protect your rights with a two-step method: (1) we
copyright the library, and (2) we offer you this license, which gives you legal
permission to copy, distribute and/or modify the library. To protect each
distributor, we want to make it very clear that there is no warranty for the
free library. Also, if the library is modified by someone else and passed on,
the recipients should know that what they have is not the original version, so
that the original author's reputation will not be affected by problems that
might be introduced by others. Finally, software patents pose a constant threat
to the existence of any free program. We wish to make sure that a company cannot
effectively restrict the users of a free program by obtaining a restrictive
license from a patent holder. Therefore, we insist that any patent license
obtained for a version of the library must be consistent with the full freedom
of use specified in this license. Most GNU software, including some libraries,
is covered by the ordinary GNU General Public License. This license, the GNU
Lesser General Public License, applies to certain designated libraries, and is
quite different from the ordinary General Public License. We use this license
for certain libraries in order to permit linking those libraries into non-free
programs. When a program is linked with a library, whether statically or using a
shared library, the combination of the two is legally speaking a combined work,
a derivative of the original library. The ordinary General Public License
therefore permits such linking only if the entire combination fits its criteria
of freedom. The Lesser General Public License permits more lax criteria for
linking other code with the library. We call this license the "Lesser" General
Public License because it does Less to protect the user's freedom than the
ordinary General Public License. It also provides other free software developers
Less of an advantage over competing non-free programs. These disadvantages are
the reason we use the ordinary General Public License for many libraries.
However, the Lesser license provides advantages in certain special
circumstances. For example, on rare occasions, there may be a special need to
encourage the widest possible use of a certain library, so that it becomes a
de-facto standard. To achieve this, non-free programs must be allowed to use the
library. A more frequent case is that a free library does the same job as widely
used non-free libraries. In this case, there is little to gain by limiting the
free library to free software only, so we use the Lesser General Public License.
In other cases, permission to use a particular library in non-free programs
enables a greater number of people to use a large body of free software. For
example, permission to use the GNU C Library in non-free programs enables many
more people to use the whole GNU operating system, as well as its variant, the
GNU/Linux operating system. Although the Lesser General Public License is Less
protective of the users' freedom, it does ensure that the user of a program that
is linked with the Library has the freedom and the wherewithal to run that
program using a modified version of the Library. The precise terms and
conditions for copying, distribution and modification follow. Pay close
attention to the difference between a "work based on the library" and a "work
that uses the library". The former contains code derived from the library,
whereas the latter must be combined with the library in order to run. GNU LESSER
GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND
MODIFICATION <<var;name="bullet";original="0.";match=".{0,20}">> This License
Agreement applies to any software library or other program which contains a
notice placed by the copyright holder or other authorized party saying it may be
distributed under the terms of this Lesser General Public License (also called
"this License"). Each licensee is addressed as "you". A "library" means a
collection of software functions and/or data prepared so as to be conveniently
linked with application programs (which use some of those functions and data) to
form executables. The "Library", below, refers to any such software library or
work which has been distributed under these terms. A "work based on the Library"
means either the Library or any derivative work under copyright law: that is to
say, a work containing the Library or a portion of it, either verbatim or with
modifications and/or translated straightforwardly into another language.
(Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in the term
"modification".) "Source code" for a work means the preferred form of the work
for making modifications to it. For a library, complete source code means all
the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface
definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation
of the library. Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are
not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running a
program using the Library is not restricted, and output from such a program is
covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Library (independent
of the use of the Library in a tool for writing it). Whether that is true
depends on what the Library does and what the program that uses the Library
does. <<var;name="bullet";original="1.";match=".{0,20}">> You may copy and
distribute verbatim copies of the Library's complete source code as you receive
it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publish on
each copy an appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep
intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any
warranty; and distribute a copy of this License along with the Library. You may
charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may at your
option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.
<<var;name="bullet";original="2.";match=".{0,20}">> You may modify your copy or
copies of the Library or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on the
Library, and copy and distribute such modifications or work under the terms of
Section 1 above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:
<<var;name="bullet";original="a)";match=".{0,20}">> The modified work must
itself be a software library.
<<var;name="bullet";original="b)";match=".{0,20}">> You must cause the files
modified to carry prominent notices stating that you changed the files and the
date of any change. <<var;name="bullet";original="c)";match=".{0,20}">> You must
cause the whole of the work to be licensed at no charge to all third parties
under the terms of this License.
<<var;name="bullet";original="d)";match=".{0,20}">> If a facility in the
modified Library refers to a function or a table of data to be supplied by an
application program that uses the facility, other than as an argument passed
when the facility is invoked, then you must make a good faith effort to ensure
that, in the event an application does not supply such function or table, the
facility still operates, and performs whatever part of its purpose remains
meaningful. (For example, a function in a library to compute square roots has a
purpose that is entirely well-defined independent of the application. Therefore,
Subsection 2d requires that any application-supplied function or table used by
this function must be optional: if the application does not supply it, the
square root function must still compute square roots.) These requirements apply
to the modified work as a whole. If identifiable sections of that work are not
derived from the Library, and can be reasonably considered independent and
separate works in themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to
those sections when you distribute them as separate works. But when you
distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based on the
Library, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of this License,
whose permissions for other licensees extend to the entire whole, and thus to
each and every part regardless of who wrote it. Thus, it is not the intent of
this section to claim rights or contest your rights to work written entirely by
you; rather, the intent is to exercise the right to control the distribution of
derivative or collective works based on the Library. In addition, mere
aggregation of another work not based on the Library with the Library (or with a
work based on the Library) on a volume of a storage or distribution medium does
not bring the other work under the scope of this License.
<<var;name="bullet";original="3.";match=".{0,20}">> You may opt to apply the
terms of the ordinary GNU General Public License instead of this License to a
given copy of the Library. To do this, you must alter all the notices that refer
to this License, so that they refer to the ordinary GNU General Public License,
version 2, instead of to this License. (If a newer version than version 2 of the
ordinary GNU General Public License has appeared, then you can specify that
version instead if you wish.) Do not make any other change in these notices.
Once this change is made in a given copy, it is irreversible for that copy, so
the ordinary GNU General Public License applies to all subsequent copies and
derivative works made from that copy. This option is useful when you wish to
copy part of the code of the Library into a program that is not a library.
<<var;name="bullet";original="4.";match=".{0,20}">> You may copy and distribute
the Library (or a portion or derivative of it, under Section 2) in object code
or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you
accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which
must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
customarily used for software interchange. If distribution of object code is
made by offering access to copy from a designated place, then offering
equivalent access to copy the source code from the same place satisfies the
requirement to distribute the source code, even though third parties are not
compelled to copy the source along with the object code.
<<var;name="bullet";original="5.";match=".{0,20}">> A program that contains no
derivative of any portion of the Library, but is designed to work with the
Library by being compiled or linked with it, is called a "work that uses the
Library". Such a work, in isolation, is not a derivative work of the Library,
and therefore falls outside the scope of this License. However, linking a "work
that uses the Library" with the Library creates an executable that is a
derivative of the Library (because it contains portions of the Library), rather
than a "work that uses the library". The executable is therefore covered by this
License. Section 6 states terms for distribution of such executables. When a
"work that uses the Library" uses material from a header file that is part of
the Library, the object code for the work may be a derivative work of the
Library even though the source code is not. Whether this is true is especially
significant if the work can be linked without the Library, or if the work is
itself a library. The threshold for this to be true is not precisely defined by
law. If such an object file uses only numerical parameters, data structure
layouts and accessors, and small macros and small inline functions (ten lines or
less in length), then the use of the object file is unrestricted, regardless of
whether it is legally a derivative work. (Executables containing this object
code plus portions of the Library will still fall under Section 6.) Otherwise,
if the work is a derivative of the Library, you may distribute the object code
for the work under the terms of Section 6. Any executables containing that work
also fall under Section 6, whether or not they are linked directly with the
Library itself. <<var;name="bullet";original="6.";match=".{0,20}">> As an
exception to the Sections above, you may also combine or link a "work that uses
the Library" with the Library to produce a work containing portions of the
Library, and distribute that work under terms of your choice, provided that the
terms permit modification of the work for the customer's own use and reverse
engineering for debugging such modifications. You must give prominent notice
with each copy of the work that the Library is used in it and that the Library
and its use are covered by this License. You must supply a copy of this License.
If the work during execution displays copyright notices, you must include the
copyright notice for the Library among them, as well as a reference directing
the user to the copy of this License. Also, you must do one of these things:
<<var;name="bullet";original="a)";match=".{0,20}">> Accompany the work with the
complete corresponding machine-readable source code for the Library including
whatever changes were used in the work (which must be distributed under Sections
1 and 2 above); and, if the work is an executable linked with the Library, with
the complete machine-readable "work that uses the Library", as object code
and/or source code, so that the user can modify the Library and then relink to
produce a modified executable containing the modified Library. (It is understood
that the user who changes the contents of definitions files in the Library will
not necessarily be able to recompile the application to use the modified
definitions.) <<var;name="bullet";original="b)";match=".{0,20}">> Use a suitable
shared library mechanism for linking with the Library. A suitable mechanism is
one that (1) uses at run time a copy of the library already present on the
user's computer system, rather than copying library functions into the
executable, and (2) will operate properly with a modified version of the
library, if the user installs one, as long as the modified version is
interface-compatible with the version that the work was made with.
<<var;name="bullet";original="c)";match=".{0,20}">> Accompany the work with a
written offer, valid for at least three years, to give the same user the
materials specified in Subsection 6a, above, for a charge no more than the cost
of performing this distribution.
<<var;name="bullet";original="d)";match=".{0,20}">> If distribution of the work
is made by offering access to copy from a designated place, offer equivalent
access to copy the above specified materials from the same place.
<<var;name="bullet";original="e)";match=".{0,20}">> Verify that the user has
already received a copy of these materials or that you have already sent this
user a copy. For an executable, the required form of the "work that uses the
Library" must include any data and utility programs needed for reproducing the
executable from it. However, as a special exception, the materials to be
distributed need not include anything that is normally distributed (in either
source or binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on)
of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
itself accompanies the executable. It may happen that this requirement
contradicts the license restrictions of other proprietary libraries that do not
normally accompany the operating system. Such a contradiction means you cannot
use both them and the Library together in an executable that you distribute.
<<var;name="bullet";original="7.";match=".{0,20}">> You may place library
facilities that are a work based on the Library side-by-side in a single library
together with other library facilities not covered by this License, and
distribute such a combined library, provided that the separate distribution of
the work based on the Library and of the other library facilities is otherwise
permitted, and provided that you do these two things:
<<var;name="bullet";original="a)";match=".{0,20}">> Accompany the combined
library with a copy of the same work based on the Library, uncombined with any
other library facilities. This must be distributed under the terms of the
Sections above. <<var;name="bullet";original="b)";match=".{0,20}">> Give
prominent notice with the combined library of the fact that part of it is a work
based on the Library, and explaining where to find the accompanying uncombined
form of the same work. <<var;name="bullet";original="8.";match=".{0,20}">> You
may not copy, modify, sublicense, link with, or distribute the Library except as
expressly provided under this License. Any attempt otherwise to copy, modify,
sublicense, link with, or distribute the Library is void, and will automatically
terminate your rights under this License. However, parties who have received
copies, or rights, from you under this License will not have their licenses
terminated so long as such parties remain in full compliance.
<<var;name="bullet";original="9.";match=".{0,20}">> You are not required to
accept this License, since you have not signed it. However, nothing else grants
you permission to modify or distribute the Library or its derivative works.
These actions are prohibited by law if you do not accept this License.
Therefore, by modifying or distributing the Library (or any work based on the
Library), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and all its
terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying the Library or works
based on it. <<var;name="bullet";original="10.";match=".{0,20}">> Each time you
redistribute the Library (or any work based on the Library), the recipient
automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute,
link with or modify the Library subject to these terms and conditions. You may
not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights
granted herein. You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third
parties with this License. <<var;name="bullet";original="11.";match=".{0,20}">>
If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent infringement or
for any other reason (not limited to patent issues), conditions are imposed on
you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise) that contradict the
conditions of this License, they do not excuse you from the conditions of this
License. If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your
obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a
consequence you may not distribute the Library at all. For example, if a patent
license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Library by all those
who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you
could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely from
distribution of the Library. If any portion of this section is held invalid or
unenforceable under any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is
intended to apply, and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other
circumstances. It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe
any patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any such
claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the integrity of the
free software distribution system which is implemented by public license
practices. Many people have made generous contributions to the wide range of
software distributed through that system in reliance on consistent application
of that system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing
to distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot impose
that choice. This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed
to be a consequence of the rest of this License.
<<var;name="bullet";original="12.";match=".{0,20}">> If the distribution and/or
use of the Library is restricted in certain countries either by patents or by
copyrighted interfaces, the original copyright holder who places the Library
under this License may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation
excluding those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among
countries not thus excluded. In such case, this License incorporates the
limitation as if written in the body of this License.
<<var;name="bullet";original="13.";match=".{0,20}">> The Free Software
Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of the Lesser General Public
License from time to time. Such new versions will be similar in spirit to the
present version, but may differ in detail to address new problems or concerns.
Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Library specifies
a version number of this License which applies to it and "any later version",
you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of that version
or of any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. If the
Library does not specify a license version number, you may choose any version
ever published by the Free Software Foundation.
<<var;name="bullet";original="14.";match=".{0,20}">> If you wish to incorporate
parts of the Library into other free programs whose distribution conditions are
incompatible with these, write to the author to ask for permission. For software
which is copyrighted by the Free Software Foundation, write to the Free Software
Foundation; we sometimes make exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided
by the two goals of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free
software and of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally. NO
WARRANTY <<var;name="bullet";original="15.";match=".{0,20}">> BECAUSE THE
LIBRARY IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE LIBRARY, TO THE
EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE
COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE LIBRARY "AS IS" WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE LIBRARY IS
WITH YOU. SHOULD THE LIBRARY PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL
NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
<<var;name="bullet";original="16.";match=".{0,20}">> IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED
BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY
OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE LIBRARY AS PERMITTED ABOVE,
BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE LIBRARY
(INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR
LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE LIBRARY TO OPERATE
WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.<<beginOptional>> END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
How to Apply These Terms to Your New Libraries If you develop a new library, and
you want it to be of the greatest possible use to the public, we recommend
making it free software that everyone can redistribute and change. You can do so
by permitting redistribution under these terms (or, alternatively, under the
terms of the ordinary General Public License). To apply these terms, attach the
following notices to the library. It is safest to attach them to the start of
each source file to most effectively convey the exclusion of warranty; and each
file should have at least the "copyright" line and a pointer to where the full
notice is found. <<beginOptional>><<<endOptional>> one line to give the
library's name and <<var;name="ideaClause";original="an idea";match="an idea|a
brief idea">> of what it does.<<beginOptional>> ><<endOptional>> Copyright
(C)<<beginOptional>> <<<endOptional>> year<<beginOptional>>
><<endOptional>><<beginOptional>> <<<endOptional>> name of
author<<beginOptional>> ><<endOptional>> This library is free software; you can
redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General
Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1
of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This library is
distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details. You should
have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this
library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin
Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Also add information on how to
contact you by electronic and paper mail. You should also get your employer (if
you work as a programmer) or your school, if any, to sign a "copyright
disclaimer" for the library, if necessary. Here is a sample; alter the names:
Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright interest in the library `Frob' (a
library for tweaking knobs) written by James Random Hacker.
<<beginOptional>><<<endOptional>> signature of Ty Coon<<beginOptional>>
><<endOptional>> , 1 April 1990 Ty Coon, President of Vice That's all there is
to it! <<endOptional>>

© 2018 SPDX Workgroup a Linux Foundation Project. All Rights Reserved.

Linux Foundation is a registered trademark of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a
registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Please see our privacy policy and terms of use.

top of page