Re: GNAT 3.13p build for Solaris 8_x86

[dewar@gnat.com (Robert Dewar)]

almroth@attglobal.net (Andreas Almroth) wrote in message news:<e19796c6.0107110722.24186f28@posting.google.com>...

> I have been using GNAT 3.12p on my laptop with Solaris 8 now for a
> while, and  I have been wondering about why there is no 3.13p for
> Solaris 8_x86 around?

Because no one built one ...
 
> OK, if you have the time, you could compile 3.13p from 3.12p level,
> which is exactly what I have done now... Everything seems to work so
> far... It is not verified/certified in any way, but it works for 
> me...

OK, good work, it's really not that hard! And for the public version
it really does not matter that it is not validated (indeed none of
the public versions of GNAT are validated).

> Having looked at how the binary distribution for 3.12p works, I'm now
> wondering, if I now have it working on my system, why couldn't I
> package a 3.13p binary distribution?

Of course you can distribute it, that's what the GPL says, and moreover
you are very much encouraged to do so. 

> Well, it leads to three major questions of my concern;
> 1. Will I get in trouble doing so? It is after all FSF copyrighted, 
> so I should be able to do so, or? What are the legal implications?

The GPL permits you to make this available, providing you also make
the sources available, or point to where you got them from.

> 2. I couldn't find out who made the 3.12p package available, so I now
> wondering what are the procedures/tools to use in order to package
> 3.13p in the same manner as 3.12p?

It is up to you how you package it, no one is requiring anything
specific here.

> 3. If, I at all succeed in creating a package, who should I contact
> for actually making it available?

I am sure the Ada mirror sites would be happy to pick this up, you
could start by contacting Dave Botton at adapower. If you tell this
group where to pick the version you have built up, I am sure that
the distribution will take care of it.

> I know this may seem as a minor thing, but wouldn't be nice to have a
> binary distribution of 3.13p on Solaris 8_x86 available for public?

Most certainly, and the availability of such versions depends on
volunteers like you who take the effort to do the builds. I am sure
that others interested in a publically available version of the 
Solaris x86 GNAT will appreciate your work.
 
> Well, if you have a split second, I would appreciate if you enlighten
> me on this topic...

I trust you are enlightened :-)

Robert Dewar
Ada Core Technologies