Mono Runtime Libraries License (LibraryGPL)

Archived Forums Questions & Answers
1

Mono uses the Library-GPL 2.0, which states that the object code that access the libraries have to be provided with any software distribution.
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/library.html#TOC1

I am pretty sure, that it’s not meant the way that I have to release my game’s source code, but if somebody knows any clarifying statement from unity, or got any hints on that?
The unity EULA does not grant any special rights by having a deal with Novell or something like that.

I assume the actual question is: How will the mono runtime-libraries be used when building the game? Are they integrated into the games runtime or externally accessed?
Do I have to provide that accessing code anyway?

GPL is cool for middle-ware, but I wanna sell my games in the future.

Thanks

3 Answers

3
2

Don’t worry about it. LGPL is not GPL.

You can keep your code private by using Mono DLLs (dynamic link library)

you have to open source only when:

  1. you modify the source code of Mono
  2. using Mono by static-link (compile whole program to a big .exe file, not several separated .dll/.exe)
3

So this mean that unity ove commercial right on Mono or with LPGL is possible to compile Mono runtime and use it on Android, iOS?

4

That does bring up interesting questions about Unity il2cpp path because that would violate the LGPL but… It’s arguably all moot now. Microsoft bought Mono and made it MITed. See

http://www.mono-project.com/news/2016/03/31/mono-relicensed-mit/