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Licensing question - am I allowed to use a GPL binary executable (.exe) in my copyrighted .bat script? Namely I want to use FART command line tool (find & replace text in files) in an install script for a proprietary product. Is such use actually static or dynamic type of linking?

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    If you're just calling an executable from a batch script, that's not linking; it's execution.
    – Rufflewind
    Commented Jul 1, 2014 at 16:08
  • could the bat work without the FART or can BURP (Big Ugly Replace Program) drop in just as well
    – ratchet freak
    Commented Jul 1, 2014 at 16:09

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Bat files execute and do not link.

Yes you can execute GPLed code from non-GPLed code. The only thing you will need to do is if you distribute FART, make sure you distribute it's source code as well. See semantic A/V for a popular example. Or many video games. As long as you give credit and don't violate the rules about distributing binaries without source your should be fine.

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  • Thanks for an answer. Is it enough to distribute only URL to the source code?
    – Kozuch
    Commented Jul 15, 2014 at 14:31
  • Usually, so long as it's the correct URL
    – coteyr
    Commented Jul 15, 2014 at 14:44

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