[Coin-discuss] Open-source Modeling Languages

[Brian Borchers]

>> 
>> I am not a lawyer either, so please correct me if I am wrong:
>> 
>> Since CPL is very generous about the usage of the code, the authors of 
>> GLPK could indeed include any CPL-licensed code into GLPK and distribute 
>> the whole package further under GPL - both as a source and as a binary 
>> (+ access to source, as GPL requires).
>
>Good point. I think this would take care of Brian's question. Can 
>someone verify this true?

I don't believe that this is true.  If the GLPK developers released a 
binary version of GLPK including the OS libraries, under the GPL, then
they would be obliged to release the source code to the OS libraries under
the GPL.  The developers of OS have not agreed to dual license their code
under the CPL and the GPL, and the GLPK developers certainly can't make
this decision for them.  
 
The normal solution to this problem would be for the OS developers to release
their stuff under a dual CPL/GPL license.  
 
Before I'm attacked as a hypocrit, my COIN-OR project is also CPL only,
by the choice of my employer...

My point in bringing this up was not to start a CPL/GPL flame war, but
rather to point out that the OS interface is heavyweight enough that
it practically requires people to integrate OS code into their
software.  In comparison, MPS files files can be used by anyone
without having to link in library of routines.