Wireshark · Wireshark-dev: Re: [Wireshark-dev] including a wireshark view in propietary software

[Martin Visser <martinvisser99@xxxxxxxxx>]

Joshua, GPL does not stop anyone selling the software, but it protects access to the source code. (Lots of people sell GPL software based solutions, but as long as they provide free access to the source code (and they can charge nominal costs for distribution of the source code) then this is OK).

Regards, Martin

MartinVisser99@xxxxxxxxx

On Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 9:47 AM, Joshua (Shiwei) Zhao <swzhao@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

So if someone modified Wireshark, they cannot sell that for commercial purpose.
But is it ok if they simply pass that to a partner for free as a coopoeration?

Thanks,
Joshua

On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 11:43 AM, Jaap Keuter <jaap.keuter@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Alexander Göbel wrote:
>> Dear Wireshark developers,
>>
>> As a university student I just started working for an IT-engineering
>> chair. They are working on a software they plan to sell commercially.
>> I've read the GNU GPL and your FAQ as well but I still don't feel
>> competent enough to judge my situation here:
>> Would it be possible to include a view of Wireshark in one tab of this
>> program? Wireshark would be installed and run seperately of our program,
>> but our program would start Wireshark and display it as a new tab within
>> the program.
>> I think this can be considered to be "at arm's length", but I'm not
>> really sure.
>> What about just  using a .dll in propietary software? The FAQ said that
>> would probably be a bad approach.
>>
>> Nothing of this has been realized yet, it's just in our minds so far.
>> Personally I love the idea of free software, but for this project my
>> hands are tied.
>>
>> Thank you for your efforts!
>> Best wishes
>> Alexander
>
> Hi Alexander,
>
> As the text says "at arm's length", which means something like communicating
> with Wireshark through the channels provided by the underlying OS (like pipes or
> even files) is oke. Incorporating compiled code and use it's external
> interfaces, like including a DLL does make the GNU GPL applicable to your software.
> If you can channel the Wireshark screen output through an OS mechanism into a
> view in your application that probably doesn't make the GNU GPL apply to your
> software.
> So far I haven't seen such integration of an GPL'ed application in another
> program, so I might have missed something.
>
> Thanx,
> Jaap
>
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