GPL'ed code can, in many cases, be linked with proprietary libraries. For
example, I've linked GPL'ed code with Microsoft's proprietary
implementation of the standard C library, and distributed the result, and
no one complains. Other people link GPL code with Motif, which is
proprietary, and distribute with no problem. The GPL contains an exception
for things that are normally distributed as part of the operating system.
Compilers are considered under GPL to be part of the OS, so it is OK to use
their libraries.
FSF thinks that Motif is part of the Unix operating system, and so linking
against Motif libraries is fine.
At least one major Linux distribution includes Qt as part of the system,
and so a reasonable case could be made that Qt falls under the same
exception on that Linux distribution as Motif does. FSF thinks that this
is not so, but has not been able to give any good reason for this.
My opinion is that people had better get used to GPL'ed code being used
with proprietary code, because someday, object-oriented component-based
development will actually become widespread and useful. If the interfaces
standardize, end users will end up mixing GPL'ed and non-GPL'ed components
all over the place. There are hints of this in the Windows world already
with Microsoft's OLE. Similary things could happen with CORBA in the Unix
world.
--Tim Smith
ps: this discussion would probably be more appropriate for gnu.misc.discuss
or comp.os.linux.advocacy, rather than the Linux Kernel list (and probably
the KDE and Gnome lists).
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