LGPL: Can drivectl utility code be modified under LGPL license?

Question

As driverctl utility is LGPL compliant so what will happen if we change the code of driverctl ? This is a ask from one of the client, so can anyone answer what will happen if we change the code of this utility ?

Answer 1

It seems that driverctl is indeed under LGPLv2.1. This was a licence in its own right (as opposed to LGPLv3, which is a permissions hack on top of GPLv3). It says in s2 that you may modify the source, and that you may distribute modified copies provided that all of these conditions are met:

a) The modified work must itself be a software library.

b) You must cause the files modified to carry prominent notices stating that you changed the files and the date of any change.

c) You must cause the whole of the work to be licensed at no charge to all third parties under the terms of this License.

d) If a facility in the modified Library refers to a function or a table of data to be supplied by an application program that uses the facility, other than as an argument passed when the facility is invoked, then you must make a good faith effort to ensure that, in the event an application does not supply such function or table, the facility still operates, and performs whatever part of its purpose remains meaningful.

The normal interpretation of this is that you must release your modified version under LGPLv2.1. On closer examination, however, (a) is a bit of a problem, because as far as I can tell driverctl isn't a software library right now. This isn't fatal for the original authors, because they aren't bound by the terms of their own licence, but it is a bit of a problem for you because, by the strict letter, you can only distribute a modified work based on driverctl if you turn it into a library.

However, you have an out. s3 of the LGPLv2.1 says that

You may opt to apply the terms of the ordinary GNU General Public License instead of this License to a given copy of the Library.

My recommendation (and note, IANAL/IANYL) is that you receive the work under straight GLPv2. You can then modify it to your heart's content, and distribute it as widely as you like, under the well-understood terms of GPLv2, which has no weird requirements about the function or nature of the work.