Re: ANN: Kickstarter for beginning work on a new open-source Compiler

[Brian Drummond <brian3@shapes.demon.co.uk>]

On Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:55:39 -0700, Shark8 wrote:

> One reason to use Delphi rather than Ada is licensing; IIUC the license
> for GNAT would prohibit development of a commercial product and
> [probably] the development of something that /would be/ used in a
> commercial product -- I simply do not wish to burden users of this
> system in that manner.

Look into that a little more closely ... it is not the case that code 
*compiled* with a gpl compiler is itself gpl'ed. 

However it *is* the case that code *linked* (statically) with a pure gpl 
runtime system is gpl if the runtime does not have the old "gnat modified 
gpl" license (aka GMGPL) making an exception by permitting linking to the 
runtime without extending gpl to the entire executable. 

The Libre version of Gnat no longer has GMGPL so you cannot use its 
runtime in a non-GPL executable.

However, you can build a "zero footprint" Ada program ( without the RTS) 
as is done for very small embedded MPUs, Atmel AVR. MSP430 etc. and 
(unliss I misread the licensing) these should be gpl-free.

Which means you could in principle substitute another RTS licensed under 
another license (GMGPL or GPLv3 with the equivalent runtime exception) 
and link your program (in this case, your own compiler) to that RTS.

And you have to provide such an RTS anyway.

So to use Gnat to bring up your compiler, write the RTS first.


Here's another alternative Ada compiler project... 
https://sourceforge.net/projects/hacadacompiler/

- Brian