64 lines
2.7 KiB
ReStructuredText
64 lines
2.7 KiB
ReStructuredText
LAMMPS open-source license
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--------------------------
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GPL version of LAMMPS
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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LAMMPS is an open-source code, available free-of-charge, and distributed
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under the terms of the `GNU Public License Version 2 <gpl_>`_ (GPLv2),
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which means you can use or modify the code however you wish for your own
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purposes, but have to adhere to certain rules when redistributing it -
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specifically in binary form - or are distributing software derived
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from it or that includes parts of it.
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LAMMPS comes with no warranty of any kind.
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As each source file states in its header, it is a copyrighted code, and
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thus not in the public domain. For more information about open-source
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software and open-source distribution, see `www.gnu.org <gnuorg_>`_
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or `www.opensource.org <opensource_>`_. The legal text of the GPL as it
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applies to LAMMPS is in the LICENSE file included in the LAMMPS distribution.
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.. _gpl: https://github.com/lammps/lammps/blob/develop/LICENSE
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.. _lgpl: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1.html
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.. _gnuorg: https://www.gnu.org
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.. _opensource: https://www.opensource.org
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Here is a more specific summary of what the GPL means for LAMMPS users:
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(1) Anyone is free to use, copy, modify, or extend LAMMPS in any way they
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choose, including for commercial purposes.
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(2) If you **distribute** a modified version of LAMMPS, it must remain
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open-source, meaning you are required to distribute **all** of it under
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the terms of the GPLv2. You should **clearly** annotate such a modified
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code as a derivative version of LAMMPS. This is best done by changing
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the name (example: LIGGGHTS is such a modified and extended version of
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LAMMPS).
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(3) If you release any code that includes or uses LAMMPS source code,
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then it must also be open-sourced, meaning you distribute it under the
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terms of the GPLv2. You may write code that interfaces LAMMPS to a
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differently licensed library. In that case the code that provides the
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interface must be licensed GPLv2, but not necessarily that library
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unless you are distributing binaries that require the library to run.
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(4) If you give LAMMPS files to someone else, the GPLv2 LICENSE file and
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source file headers (including the copyright and GPLv2 notices) should
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remain part of the code.
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LGPL version of LAMMPS
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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We occasionally make stable LAMMPS releases available under the `GNU
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Lesser Public License v2.1 <lgpl_>`_. This is on request only and with
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non-LGPL compliant files removed. This allows uses linking non-GPL
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compatible software with the (otherwise unmodified) LAMMPS library
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or loading it dynamically at runtime. Any **modifications** to
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the LAMMPS code however, even with the LGPL licensed version, must still
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be made available under the same open source terms as LAMMPS itself.
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