The difference between the GPL and LGPL licenses are:

The difference between the GPL (General Public License) and LGPL (Lesser General Public License) mainly revolves around how they manage linking and distribution of software, especially in relation to libraries. Here’s a breakdown of the options you’ve provided, with clarifications:

1. LGPL allows you to distribute the software in binary-only form: This statement is somewhat misleading. Both GPL and LGPL allow the distribution of software in binary form, but the key difference lies in the requirements when distributing. LGPL allows you to link the LGPL-covered software (typically libraries) with proprietary software without requiring the proprietary software to also be released under the LGPL or GPL. However, any modifications to the LGPL-covered software itself still need to be made available under the LGPL.
2. LGPL is shorter than GPL: This is not a meaningful distinction regarding their legal differences and implications. The actual text length of the licenses does not directly impact their legal or functional distinctions.
3. LGPL ensures that all variants of the original GPL program has the same freedom of use as the original: This is not accurate. The LGPL was specifically designed to allow the use of free libraries with non-free software, which is not necessarily preserving the same freedoms for all derivatives as the original GPL program. The LGPL is more permissive in allowing derivatives to be combined with non-free software.
4. LGPL was made by the OSI while GPL was made by the FSF: This is incorrect. Both the GPL and the LGPL were created by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The Open Source Initiative (OSI) approves licenses that comply with their Open Source Definition, but it does not create these licenses.
5. LGPL applies to web services: This is not correct. Neither the GPL nor the LGPL have specific provisions that directly address the use of the software in a web services context (often referred to as the “ASP loophole”). This issue is partly addressed by the Affero GPL (AGPL), which requires that the source code be made available to network users.

Therefore, the main difference between the GPL and LGPL is related to how derivatives and linked software can be distributed, particularly regarding the inclusion of LGPL-licensed components in proprietary software without requiring the proprietary parts to be released under the same or compatible open-source license.