GPL linking exception

A GPL linking exception modifies the <a href="/facts/GNU_General_Public_License/S75KhLSX">GNU General Public License</a> (GPL) in a way that enables software projects which provide <a href="/facts/Library_(computing)/xRzL3P7q">library</a> code to be "<a href="/facts/Linker_(computing)/pn1hztYe">linked to</a>" the programs that use them, without applying the full terms of the GPL to the using program. Linking is the technical process of connecting code in a library to the using code, to produce a single <a href="/facts/Executable/VSst9eLA">executable file</a>. It is performed either at <a href="/facts/Compile_time/yCdI3oqn">compile time</a> or <a href="/facts/Run_time_(program_lifecycle_phase)/lCxKsrzB">run-time</a> in order to produce functional machine-readable code. The Free Software Foundation states that, without applying the linking exception, a program linked to GPL library code may only be distributed under a GPL-compatible license. This has not been explicitly tested in court, but linking violations have resulted in settlement. The license of the GNU Classpath project explicitly includes a statement to that effect.
Many free software libraries which are distributed under the GPL use an equivalent exception, although the wording of the exception varies. Notable projects include <a href="/facts/ERIKA_Enterprise/HRAfok0e">ERIKA Enterprise</a>, <a href="/facts/GNU_Guile/xsnGWQKV">GNU Guile</a>, the run-time libraries of <a href="/facts/GNAT/bykaAwtl">GNAT</a>, <a href="/facts/GNU_Classpath/rMSHp6ce">GNU Classpath</a> and the GCC Runtime Library Exception.
Compiler runtime libraries also often use this license modification or an equivalent one, e.g. the libgcc library in the <a href="/facts/GNU_Compiler_Collection/t07jh01k">GNU Compiler Collection</a>, as well as all libraries of the <a href="/facts/Free_Pascal/kmGChqAg">Free Pascal</a> project.
In 2007, Sun Microsystems released most of the <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a> to the <a href="/facts/Class_library/xRzL3P7q">class libraries</a> for the <a href="/facts/Java_Platform%2c_Standard_Edition/1HMPhdsv">Java SE</a> and <a href="/facts/Java_Platform%2c_Enterprise_Edition/7AAStd35">Java EE</a> projects under version 2 of the GPL license plus the Classpath linking exception, and used the same license as one possible license for their enterprise server <a href="/facts/GlassFish/Y45eWxx3">GlassFish</a> and for their <a href="/facts/NetBeans/9kqvIVFG">NetBeans</a> Java <a href="/facts/Integrated_development_environment/jbEINSQf">IDE</a>.
Version 3 of the <a href="/facts/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License/AXwkz9x3">GNU Lesser General Public License</a> (LGPL) is likewise constructed as an exception to the GPL.

GPL linking exception open-in-new

GPL linking exception