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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-22T01:49:26+00:00

We are planning to develop a CIFS server using Java. Note that this will

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We are planning to develop a CIFS server using Java. Note that this will be a commercial product.

To avoid re-invention of wheel, I am looking for a open source Java library which can be used in commercial products without any legal issue. After research I found that Alfresco JLAN is the only Java open source library available on web. But problem I see is it’s published under LGPL license. If I plan to use JLAN, I will need to make some changes in it’s original source to make it compatible with my product, and after doing this, i guess, I will need to make my product as well GPL based.

I need your expert opinion on following-

  1. Is there any way i can still use JLAN without any legal issue in my commercial product without any obligation to make my product open source?
  2. If not, then is there any other Java open source library which will fit my requirements?
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  1. Editorial Team

    I will need to make some changes in it’s original source to make it compatible with my product, and after doing this, i guess, I will need to make my product as well GPL based.

    First, talk to a qualified IP lawyer.

    Second, I don’t think that LGPL would mean that. My understanding is that the key requirements are:

    • Provide source-code for the changes that you make to JLAN to any of your customers who requests it, along with any necessary build files, etc. These changes must be licensed under the GPL or LGPL.

    • Don’t mingle the compiled JLAN binaries with your closed-source binaries; i.e. put them in separate JAR files so that someone can modify / replace the JLAN component.

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