iOS Loaded question...

[slycrel]

So I have some functionality that I want to provide for my iPhone app that is fairly common in the open source world. However apple does not provide this with the SDK.

I'd like to do so myself in my app without reinventing the wheel.

There are tons of code examples out there, but the majority are not compatible with apple's SDK as they require the code to be released. I'm under the impression that releasing my code is not allowed by apple's current license.

I have found what looks to be just what I need as an LGPL codebase. So, my question is this:

Would compiling and linking a LGPL library into my application violate the LGPL license? Assuming I made the source available to this library, is that enough to comply with the LGPL? Or do I need to use LGPL'd stuff as a dynamic library? (I think apple doesn't allow dynamic lib calls and such, please correct me if I am wrong here)

I hate to spend hours and hours of coding to reinvent the wheel if I don't have to, so any advice would be great here.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DipDog3]

Just do it and don't worry about the license.

 

[Mac Me Up]

Just do it and don't worry about the license.

That's terrible advice! Programmers license their work under certain license for a reason. It's not just because they feel like it. If they say you cannot use their work without open sourcing your changes, then you cannot, simple as that.

Having said that there are actually a few iPhone apps which are open source, and available on Google Code. Apples seems to be ignoring this violation for now.

If it was me I would sooner open source my code and risk the ire of apple then violating software licenses!

 

[beachdog]

I think your concern needs to be the LGPL license, not Apple. If you read the terms of the LGPL license it will tell you what is required. I'm not a lawyer, but have some exposure to the LGPL as well as GPL licenses, and my layman's understanding of the LGPL is that you can incorporate LGPL code into your code as long as you attribute the use of the LGPL code in your docs somewhere (the GPL license is more restrictive and potentially requires you to release your merged code under a GPL license).

 

[DipDog3]

That's terrible advice! Programmers license their work under certain license for a reason. It's not just because they feel like it. If they say you cannot use their work without open sourcing your changes, then you cannot, simple as that.

I was talking about Apple's License or NDA or whatever it is that doesn't allow us to discuss the iPhone SDK.

 

[Mac Me Up]

I was talking about Apple's License or NDA or whatever it is that doesn't allow us to discuss the iPhone SDK.

Ahh ok my bad. I thought you meant ignore the GPL/LGPL. In that case we agree, do the right thing, and ignore the Apple restriction...at your own risk of course