Re: Licences

[Ludovic Brenta <ludovic@ludovic-brenta.org>]

Martin Dowie <martin.dowie@btopenworld.com> writes:
> Marco wrote:
>> It seems that a BSD style open source Ada runtime library needs to
>> be created (compiled with GNAT).  But is there enough steam left in
>> the Ada community to support this endeavour?  AdaCore obviously
>> needs to force it's hand to stay in business and it can't
>> discriminate between the small fry and the large aerospace giants
>> which actually buys it's products.
>
> I can kind of understand where AdaCore are coming from...
>
> ...on one hand the GPL is ultimately what 'Free' Software is all about, 
> isn't it? And when you hear of companies sticking satellites into space 
> using GNAT _3.15p_ then there is clearly revenue there that they are 
> just not getting (and need as much as any other business).

OTOH, such companies would be perfectly happy with GNAT GPL 2005
Edition, since they don't really distribute their software to anyone -
they just dispatch it, physically, into orbit :)

Here the issue is not licensing, it is whether the commercial support
provided by AdaCore is worth the money to these companies.

-- 
Ludovic Brenta.