Can I use OpenSSL with GPL software?
On many systems including the major Linux and BSD distributions, yes (the GPL does not place restrictions on using libraries that are part of the normal operating system distribution). On other systems, the situation is less clear. Some GPL software copyright holders claim that you infringe on their rights if you use OpenSSL with their software on operating systems that don’t normally include OpenSSL. If you develop open source software that uses OpenSSL, you may find it useful to choose an other license than the GPL, or state explicitly that “This program is released under the GPL with the additional exemption that compiling, linking, and/or using OpenSSL is allowed.” If you are using GPL software developed by others, you may want to ask the copyright holder for permission to use their software with OpenSSL.
