4 ms·

Yes, even on iOS.

kej 7y ago
The LGPL requires end users to be able to view and modify the LGPL portion of the derivative work. Does iOS give end users that level of access to apps? (honest question, my outsider's impression of Apple is that they have stuff locked down more than that)
- jcelerier 7y ago
  the problem with iOS was that you had to pay 99$ a year to upload apps to your own phone, which prevent use of GPL code since it removes your right to do stuff on your own hardware. Fortunately this restriction was lifted since Xcode 7 a few years ago and it's nowadays not a problem at all - there are plenty of GPL / LGPL apps on the app store. Just put the code and build instructions on github, what matters is that users can patch, rebuild and upload the patched version to their phone.
- ksherlock 7y ago
  There was an iOS email client a few years back that used some LGPL components. They complied by providing the object files so you could, in theory, re-link (and re-sign) using your own updated LGPL library. Ahh, here we go: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4302517 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4302517 https://web.archive.org/web/20140325063249/http://sprw.me/lgpl.php https://web.archive.org/web/20140325063249/http://sprw.me/lg...
  - vunie 7y ago
    Let me preface by emphasizing that IANAL, but I believe the issue isn't with the software vendor and is instead with the distribution platform (i.e Apple). The LGPLv3 mandates that users be allowed to modify the parts that are licensed by this license. The TOS of the Apple App Store explicitly disallows its users from modifying software they get from it, thereby running afoul of the LGPL. So this issue, as I understand it, is that neither the software vendor nor Apple have a license to distribute Qt on a platform that places additional restrictions on what the user may do with LGPL software. I think this is the reason why Apple removed VLC and other GPL software from their stores. Please correct me if I got this wrong.
    - vunie 7y ago
      Cant edit my post, but here are a few links that you might find interesting: * FSF's opinion: https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance * General conscious: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/6109/is-it-possible-to-have-gpl-software-in-the-mac-app-store https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/6109/is-it-possibl...

Yes, even on iOS.

kej 7y ago

The LGPL requires end users to be able to view and modify the LGPL portion of the derivative work. Does iOS give end users that level of access to apps? (honest question, my outsider's impression of Apple is that they have stuff locked down more than that)

jcelerier 7y ago
the problem with iOS was that you had to pay 99$ a year to upload apps to your own phone, which prevent use of GPL code since it removes your right to do stuff on your own hardware. Fortunately this restriction was lifted since Xcode 7 a few years ago and it's nowadays not a problem at all - there are plenty of GPL / LGPL apps on the app store. Just put the code and build instructions on github, what matters is that users can patch, rebuild and upload the patched version to their phone.
ksherlock 7y ago
There was an iOS email client a few years back that used some LGPL components. They complied by providing the object files so you could, in theory, re-link (and re-sign) using your own updated LGPL library. Ahh, here we go: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4302517 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4302517 https://web.archive.org/web/20140325063249/http://sprw.me/lgpl.php https://web.archive.org/web/20140325063249/http://sprw.me/lg...
- vunie 7y ago
  Let me preface by emphasizing that IANAL, but I believe the issue isn't with the software vendor and is instead with the distribution platform (i.e Apple). The LGPLv3 mandates that users be allowed to modify the parts that are licensed by this license. The TOS of the Apple App Store explicitly disallows its users from modifying software they get from it, thereby running afoul of the LGPL. So this issue, as I understand it, is that neither the software vendor nor Apple have a license to distribute Qt on a platform that places additional restrictions on what the user may do with LGPL software. I think this is the reason why Apple removed VLC and other GPL software from their stores. Please correct me if I got this wrong.
  - vunie 7y ago
    Cant edit my post, but here are a few links that you might find interesting: * FSF's opinion: https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance https://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance * General conscious: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/6109/is-it-possible-to-have-gpl-software-in-the-mac-app-store https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/6109/is-it-possibl...