Can a closed source application be open source?
If I create a closed source application which uses some GPL licensed libraries but don’t actually distribute the software, only its output, can I keep the software closed sourced? Specifically, I am talking about a biological data analysis pipeline. Internally, our software will be using some GPL libraries to generate its output.
Do you have to release your source code to the public?
Here’s a common misconception: the GPL emphatically does not say “anyone who modifies the source code must release their modifications for free to the public.” In fact until very recently with the advent of GitHub, publishing software publicly was a really difficult task.
What’s the difference between open source and proprietary software?
Open source software is software that does the complete opposite. It allows users to copy, modify, or delete parts of the code under their own discretion. The user is able to use functions of the open source on their own program with no consequence. Which one works best?
Do you have to give your source code to someone else?
It says, “when you distribute the modified program to someone else, you have to give them, and only them, ownership of the modified source code under this license, so that they can fully own their computers just the same as you could.” There are two similarities to what most people are expecting; there are also two differences.
What do I need to do if I use a LGPL licensed?
57 LGPL’s basic requirement is to separate the LGPL-licensed library and your own productwell enough. That should allow users to supply their own version of the library instead of the one you’ve shipped with your software (with the bugs fixed, for instance).
How are GPL libraries used in software development?
Internally, our software will be using some GPL libraries to generate its output. However, the software itself will not be distributed. Users will either receive a virtual machine with the pipeline set up which they can run locally, or submit their input data to us and access their results from a web interface.
Can a GPL program run on anyone else’s computer?
That code runs on your computer, nobody else’s. Since the GPL code doesn’t execute on anyone else’s machine, they cannot demand to see the source for the running program, even if it was modified.