[CLUE-Talk] GPL Question

[Grant Johnson]

Has there been any definitive answer on what constitutes "linking?"

Since my software runs on LInux, indirectly, Linux kernel calls happen as a 
result of what my application does.  Is this linking?  fopen fires up 
something in glibc, which fires up something in the kernel.  This is 
linking (just once removed).

The question becomes an issue when a customer wants a system, is interested 
in Linux, but for whatever reason does not want to distribute under the GPL.

Any help?  I just want to keep myself out of trouble.  As for the other way 
around, what if a GPL program is ported to Windows?  Does this present a 
problem?  If you use the MS C compiler, it WILL like routines from 
msvcrt20.dll and msvcrt40.dll.  How do we get around this?  How do we port 
applications to windows without violating the GPL, since all of the API's 
are undocumented and hidden in their proprietary DLL's?