Re: Will the defect with formal package parameters be fixed in GNAT GPL 2009?

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

Eric Hughes wrote:
> AdaCore has a no support policy for GPL users, which means to me that
> I expect to be ignored. Other with different experiences assure me
> otherwise, yet these are not my experiences but theirs. I would be
> perfectly happy to have someone else, perhaps one of those with
> different experiences, lay claim to the defect and report it.

So, you expect AdaCore to ignore your bug reports, but expect people
on comp.lang.ada to report your bugs for you and not get ignored? I
fail to see the logic in this.

> These days, not supporting the free software penumbra around a
> platform is a recipe for slow failure. [...]

It seems to me as though you're not really complaining that AdaCore
does not support the "free software penumbra" (which you understand)
but that "the free software penumbra" does not support you.

AdaCore does support the free software "penumbra" by providing their
source code under terms of the GPL. The return on this investment
consists of new users and several external contributors who provide
additional software or improvements to the existing software. AdaCore
sell services such as packaging and bug fixes, so it would not be in
their best interests to provide the same service for free that they
provide to paying customers. You understand that and you expect to be
ignored but I can also understand that some here have taken offense at
your attitude consisting in (a) refusing to report your bug properly
in a bug database, (b) expecting other people to do that for you, and
(c) threatening not to use Ada if volunteers nobody fixes your bug.

> My advice is that listening is a more productive response than blaming.

My advice, if you want your bug fixed, is to get a support contract
from AdaCore. Failing that, you can still report your bug on GCC's
bugzilla database (http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla) and offer a bounty to
whoever fixes it for you.

--
Ludovic Brenta.