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The kernel is GPL, but that doesn't stop you to write non-GPL apps on top of it. However, using a GPL OpenJDK would have made every single app on Android GPL.

hboon 16y ago
Using a GPL-license SDK makes every app written with the SDK GPL? That doesn't make sense.
- aphexairlines 16y ago
  It makes sense from the perspective of a mutually-beneficial open source deal: you link against my open software, so you open yours too. also, from: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html > The GNU General Public License does not permit incorporating your program into proprietary programs. If your program is a subroutine library, you may consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with the library. If this is what you want to do, use the GNU Lesser General Public License instead of this License. But first, please read <http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html>.
aphexairlines 16y ago
The kernel license has an explicit exception to the GPL for user programs: http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/COPYING http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/COPYING
- patrickaljord 16y ago
  No, that's related to writing kernel modules. I'm talking about writing propriety apps on a gnu/linux distribution, android in that case. This is totally legal and doesn't depend at all on the kernel license exception. Think skype on ubuntu. However, if the toolkit/sdk you're using on a gnu/linux distribution is GPL, then all your apps will have to be GPL, unless you use a non-gpl sdk or write your own non-gpl sdk as Google did.
kjetil 16y ago
No, OpenJDK license is GPL + classpath exception: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_linking_exception http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_linking_exception Ie. apps that only use the Java system libraries don't have to be GPL'ed, only modifications of the VM itself. Google didn't want to place this restriction on Android vendors.

hboon 16y ago

Using a GPL-license SDK makes every app written with the SDK GPL? That doesn't make sense.

aphexairlines 16y ago
It makes sense from the perspective of a mutually-beneficial open source deal: you link against my open software, so you open yours too. also, from: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html > The GNU General Public License does not permit incorporating your program into proprietary programs. If your program is a subroutine library, you may consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with the library. If this is what you want to do, use the GNU Lesser General Public License instead of this License. But first, please read <http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html>.

aphexairlines 16y ago

The kernel license has an explicit exception to the GPL for user programs: http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/COPYING http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/COPYING

patrickaljord 16y ago
No, that's related to writing kernel modules. I'm talking about writing propriety apps on a gnu/linux distribution, android in that case. This is totally legal and doesn't depend at all on the kernel license exception. Think skype on ubuntu. However, if the toolkit/sdk you're using on a gnu/linux distribution is GPL, then all your apps will have to be GPL, unless you use a non-gpl sdk or write your own non-gpl sdk as Google did.

kjetil 16y ago

No, OpenJDK license is GPL + classpath exception: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_linking_exception http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_linking_exception Ie. apps that only use the Java system libraries don't have to be GPL'ed, only modifications of the VM itself. Google didn't want to place this restriction on Android vendors.