From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.6 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_20,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,3debd0b7ab930abc X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: "John H. Lindsay" Subject: Re: Ada 95 - the interpretation of the Gnu 'copy left' Date: 1997/10/31 Message-ID: <345A076F.322@rmc.ca>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 287007344 References: <19971020164100.MAA21408@ladder02.news.aol.com> <344BAAB5.21E5@rmc.ca> <3457601A.21D8@rmc.ca> To: Robert Dewar Organization: Royal Military College of Canada Reply-To: lindsay_j@rmc.ca Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-10-31T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: I had written: .... snip .... > I wonder if > a short 1-paragraph plain English explanation is needed to > accompany [the Gnu Public Licence] .... Robert Dewar replied: > I don't think a one paragraph summary would be likely to be helpful. I > think most people understand quite clearly that the issue arises with > runtime routines only (to think that the GPL somehow covers the *output* > of the compiler makes no sense at all. .... [ Robert compared the situation to the use of other (non-compiler) programs.] I agree, it makes no sense from my point of view and from others' point of view too I say, but restricting the use of the run-time and the compiler output is possible, and I've seen it done, darn it all. > .... but the runtime is not under the GPL, due > to the special exception paragraph: .... snip .... > -- As a special exception, if other files instantiate generics from this -- > -- unit, or you link this unit with other files to produce an executable, -- > -- this unit does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be -- > -- covered by the GNU General Public License. This exception does not -- > -- however invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be -- > -- covered by the GNU Public License. -- .... snip .... Ahh ! So ! It's not covered. Good. Thanks. -- John H. Lindsay lindsay_j@rmc.ca Department of Mathematics and Computer Science ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA P O BOX 17000 STN FORCES KINGSTON ON K7K 7B4 CANADA Phone: (613) 541-5010--6419 Fax: (613) 541-6584