What kind of software license applies to a proprietary software installed on a GPL licensed OS, which is distributed as a Docker image?

General
1

I’m going to use a GPL licensed OS as the base image for a Docker image, where a proprietary software will be installed on. In other words I have installed a proprietary software on a GPL licensed OS running on a Docker container and created a Docker image of it.
Then if I distribute this image, do I need to expose the source code of that proprietary software and make its license compatible with the GPL license?

I looked for an answer on GNU Operating System site and several other places.
There I came across the following ideas:

  1. If you use a GPL licensed library even for the runtime binding with your application, its license has to be adhered with GPL license.
  2. Although you bundle a GPL licensed software with an installer or a similar application, that application doesn’t need to have a GPL compatible license.
  3. If you distribute an application with any GPL licensed software/ library/ tool as a single product, that application has to be compatible with GPL license.

So I’m little bit confused here about, what applies to the scenario I mentioned above and your help is very much appreciated?

1 Like
2

I too would like an answer to this. Here is my scenario:

We are writing proprietary software that uses mysql as its persistence store . Can I distribute my Docker image to customers and still be ‘legal’

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I don’t think anyone who usually hangs out here can give you valid legal advice, my 2c is that you should ask a lawyer.