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, MSGID_RANDY autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,a2c7f6cbdb72aa16 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Robert Dewar Subject: Re: "proprietary", was Re: ada on linux Date: 2000/06/03 Message-ID: <8h9r89$n5d$1@nnrp1.deja.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 630457263 References: <8grdg2$pgh$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8h0jgj$amb$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8h0mt3$d5j$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8h1747$i4a@drn.newsguy.com> X-Http-Proxy: 1.0 x72.deja.com:80 (Squid/1.1.22) for client 205.232.38.14 Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy. X-Article-Creation-Date: Sat Jun 03 02:41:15 2000 GMT X-MyDeja-Info: XMYDJUIDrobert_dewar Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada X-Http-User-Agent: Mozilla/4.61 [en] (OS/2; I) Date: 2000-06-03T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <8h1747$i4a@drn.newsguy.com>, bill@new wrote: > > Why deal with all this mess of GPL, when one can download > freeBSD which is all free? Assuming this is not meant as a troll, which might well be the case, then the answer is straightforward. Authors choose to use the GPL to ensure that derived works remain all free. The trouble with freeBSD, is there is nothing to stop R. Dewar or anyone else making nonfreeveryexpensiveproprietaryBSD with some small changes. We want to ensure that all future versions of GNAT remain free! There is no "mess" with GPL, though I agree some of the obfuscation in this thread could be misinterpreted in this manner. The GPL is really quite clear, and quite effective. Usually I only see complaints or worries about the GPL from those associated with manufacture of proprietary software. Those people would of course prefer a BSD like license to the GPL license, because then they can use the software in their proprietary products. Let's take a specific example. At one point Tartan suggested the possibility of joining the GNAT front end with their proprietary backend to make a proprietary result. We told them they couldn't and that was that! On the other hand, we know of important cases where major manufacturers are open sourcing important code generators so that they can properly use GPL'ed front ends. Anyway, the important thing to remember is that the author of software decides on the licensing, and the only reasonable response anyone else can have to a license is to either decide that you like the software and license, and acquire it, or that you don't and decline! Robert Dewar Ada Core Technologies Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.