Re: Which old version is best to use? don't trust Adacore anymore

[Shark8 <onewingedshark@gmail.com>]

On Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at 5:49:31 AM UTC-6, pat...@spellingbeewinnars.org wrote:
> Hi Everyone
> 
> I like C, Ada and my favorite is COBOL. IF I like COBOL it's obvious I don't drink cool-aid. I just don't care about Ada 2005/2013 features.
> 
> As you know Adacore removed the pragma ada-83 and ada_95 recently.
> 
> Why remove simple features like this that will help people to run older code, They are laying a trap for future use. I am currently chewing bait, waiting for the hook to puncture.

On one hand I can see how they would want to be able to reduce the size of their "maintenance-area"; something like that would be understandable as a prelude to a re-engineering/massive-refactoring push.

On the other, AdaCore does seem to be focusing on safety-critical / high-reliability marketing almost to the exclusion of general-computing.

> 
> Over here I found:
> https://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuada/files/GNAT_P%20Sources/3.15/
> 
> I can download it's corresponding GCC and build it but is this the best version that is still GMGPL ?

I think if you want to stick with GPL and GNAT you should look at FSF:
https://www.gnu.org/software/gnat/

There's also GetAdaNow, that has a good collection of links: http://getadanow.com/

But I should also mention, especially since you express apathy toward Ada 2005 and 2012 features, RR Software:
http://www.rrsoftware.com/html/companyinf/prices.htm#95nt

> 
> Are there any security concerns that you know of with this old code? I am sure I could read online but if you happen to know of something that would be great.

Not off the top of my head.

> 
> Anyone interested in just forking and maintaining the old code and being done with Adacore's GPL-everything that is free, charge 10K for the rest, game ?

Honestly, I'd rather re-start work on my own compiler project: Byron, which aims to be a Ada 2012 compiler in Ada 2012.