What is a GNU license used for?

What is a GNU license used for?

The GNU General Public License (GNU GPL or simply GPL) is a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software.

How do you use GNU?

How to use GNU licenses for your own software

1. Get a copyright disclaimer from your employer or school.
2. Give each file the proper copyright notices. ...
3. Add a COPYING file with a copy of the GNU GPL or GNU AGPL.
4. Also add a COPYING. ...
5. Put a license notice in each file.
6. (Optionally) make the program display a startup notice.

Can I use GNU General Public License?

The GNU General Public License is a free, copyleft license for software and other kinds of works. ... We, the Free Software Foundation, use the GNU General Public License for most of our software; it applies also to any other work released this way by its authors. You can apply it to your programs, too.

How do I use my LGPL license?

You can use and distribute LGPL libraries on your website and use them in combination with commercial code. The only big restriction is that you must keep the library open source, including any modifications you make to it, and allow your users to obtain the source, licence and copyright information for the library.

Is GPL legal?

GPL is enforceable as it's essentially a copyright license. The copyright holders of the GPL software can choose to enforce the GPL on the distributed or derivative works of the software. For example, the FSF holds the copyrights on many pieces of the GNU system, such as the GNU Compiler Collection.

Why is GPL bad?

Many consider the GPL a "business-unfriendly" license because of its so-called viral nature: All software derived from GPL-licensed code must in turn be licensed under the GPL. ... If the GPL doesn't work for you, you can purchase the software under an alternative commercial license.

What does G in GNU stand for?

GNU's Not Unix The GNU operating system is a complete free software system, upward-compatible with Unix. GNU stands for “GNU's Not Unix”. It is pronounced as one syllable with a hard g. Richard Stallman made the Initial Announcement of the GNU Project in September 1983.

Is GNU a kernel?

Linux is the kernel, one of the essential major components of the system. The system as a whole is basically the GNU system, with Linux added. When you're talking about this combination, please call it “GNU/Linux.”

Is LGPL license free?

The GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) is a free-software license published by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). ... The LGPL is primarily used for software libraries, although it is also used by some stand-alone applications.

Is LGPL a viral license?

Now you may think you already do this, but looking at the licenses, I see little to no difference between GPL and LGPL unless I really study it (or already know the difference) ... LGPL is not viral like GPL.

How to use GNU licenses for your own software?

• In GNU programs we conventionally put the license in a file called COPYING. If you are releasing your program under the GNU AGPL, use the text version of the GNU AGPL instead of the GNU GPL. If you are releasing your program under the Lesser GPL, you should also include the text version of the LGPL , usually in a file called COPYING.LESSER.

Do you need a license for the GNU GPL?

• We use only licenses that are compatible with the GNU GPL for GNU software. Documentation for free software should be free documentation, so that people can redistribute it and improve it along with the software it describes. To make it free documentation, you need to release it under a free documentation license.

Which is the best description of the GNU general public license?

• For other uses, see GPL (disambiguation). The GNU General Public License ( GNU GPL or GPL) is a series of widely used free software licenses that guarantee end users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software.

Where do I put a copy of the GNU license?

• You should also include a copy of the license itself somewhere in the distribution of your program. All programs, whether they are released under the GPL or LGPL, should include the text version of the GPL. In GNU programs we conventionally put the license in a file called COPYING.