From: dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)
Subject: Re: Ada 95 - the interpretation of the Gnu 'copy left'
Date: 1997/10/29
Date: 1997-10-29T00:00:00+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <dewar.878175991@merv> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 3457601A.21D8@rmc.ca
John Lindsay said
<<Well, this is good; thanks to Robert and one other who
corrected my understanding. But I read a copy of the
'copy left' some time ago with exactly this question and
a related question - can the Gnu compilers &c. be used to
create software to be distributed at all without also
distributing the whole particular Gnu package used to
create it - in mind. My understanding (incorrect - separate
arrangements needed to use for profit, correct - no need to
redistribute the whole thing) came from that reading.
The copy left is verbose, perhaps necessarily so, and
perhaps it has been reworked since I read it. I wonder if
a short 1-paragraph plain English explanation is needed to
accompany it, not in any way replacing or modifying the
full 'legal' text.
>>
I don't think a one paragraph summary would be likely to be helpful. I
think most people understand quite clearly that the issue arises with
runtime routines only (to think that the GPL somehow covers the *output*
of the compiler makes no sense at all. Think by analogy, suppose I gave
you a GPL'ed financial program, comparable to Quicken, do you think the
fact that it was under the GPL means that you have to distribute your
checking records to the world, certainly not. The fact that the output
of a compiler is object code rather than checks makes no difference!
The only issue is the runtime, but the runtime is not under the GPL, due
to the special exception paragraph:
-- GNAT is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under --
-- terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Soft- --
-- ware Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any later ver- --
-- sion. GNAT is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITH- --
-- OUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY --
-- or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License --
-- for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General --
-- Public License distributed with GNAT; see file COPYING. If not, write --
-- to the Free Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, --
-- MA 02111-1307, USA. --
-- --
-- As a special exception, if other files instantiate generics from this --
-- unit, or you link this unit with other files to produce an executable, --
-- this unit does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be --
-- covered by the GNU General Public License. This exception does not --
-- however invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be --
-- covered by the GNU Public License. --
-- --
-- GNAT was originally developed by the GNAT team at New York University. --
-- It is now maintained by Ada Core Technologies Inc (http://www.gnat.com). --
Robert Dewar
Ada Core Technologies
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1997-10-29 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 8+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1997-10-20 0:00 Ada 95 AlanVPham
1997-10-20 0:00 ` John Lindsay
1997-10-20 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1997-10-21 0:00 ` Simon Wright
1997-10-29 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1997-10-29 0:00 ` Ada 95 - the interpretation of the Gnu 'copy left' John Lindsay
1997-10-29 0:00 ` Robert Dewar [this message]
1997-10-31 0:00 ` John H. Lindsay
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