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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,30a9bb3017fa58dd X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 1025b4,959627a08fbc77c5 X-Google-Attributes: gid1025b4,public From: Robert Dewar Subject: Re: GNAT versions ( was :Ada compiler for PC?) Date: 1999/04/22 Message-ID: <7fndu7$im4$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 469563271 References: <3718ccb6.3581307@news.mindspring.com> <3718d384.254178@news.pacbell.net> <1999Apr20.073527.1@eisner> <7fi2k3$lv9$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <371C99DD.F15ADC4B@spam.com> <7fkkoi$ui$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <371DF7CE.C7D7C1F@spam.com> <1999Apr21.142617.1@eisner> <371E2F2A.662C8F4F@spam.com> X-Http-Proxy: 1.0 x12.dejanews.com:80 (Squid/1.1.22) for client 205.232.38.14 Organization: Deja News - The Leader in Internet Discussion X-Article-Creation-Date: Thu Apr 22 15:06:52 1999 GMT Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,gnu.misc.discuss X-Http-User-Agent: Mozilla/4.04 [en] (OS/2; I) Date: 1999-04-22T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <371E2F2A.662C8F4F@spam.com>, root wrote: > Robert posts regards this subject ( even when he offers > www.opensource.com instead of www.gnu.org for a > definition of "free software". ) Please note that opensource is an appropriate source of information on open source software, NOT on free software. I have not ever suggested finding out about free software from open source software. This is perhaps a good opportunity to point out the distinction. The emphasis in the open source community is on quality achieved by making sources openly available. The emphasis in free software is on providing freedom to the user of the software. They are not the same thing, although there is some overlap. The GPL for instance qualifies software as being open source. However, the APL, recently accepted by the open source organization, is definitely NOT free software, since it places definite limitations on what you can do with the software you receive under this license that are incompatible with the aims of free software. For more information on this important distinction, you should indeed visit www.gnu.org. GNAT remains free software, and in general free software will always meet the requirements for open source software, but it is very important to understand that the reverse is NOT the case. Robert Dewar P.S as for Glen being unhappy with the product we produce, I guess I cannot say more than that it is impossible to please everyone with a given product. This is a free and open market place. If Glen is unhappy with the GNAT product, I guess he will simply have to shop elsewhere for an Ada compiler. GNAT is not the only shop in town! It will remain the case that ACT is, as befits the Ada world, very much focussed on quality. Sometimes there is a conflict between ensuring quality and getting the latest and greatest version out right away without adequate testing. ACT chooses to resolve this conflict with an emphasis on careful QA for all our released products. This does not mean that all our products will be 100% completely problem free. We work towards that goal certainly, but if that was the requirement I am afraid people would get even more unhappy about delayed releases :-) Now, as is appropriate to this discussion, a short update on the 3.12 status. We have closed further development on 3.12 and are now stabilizing the release. It will have many nice new features, as has been consistently true of new GNAT releases, and we will try to get it into good shape for release as soon as possible. Robert Dewar Ada Core Technologies -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own