Re: some questions on installing Ada on Linux

[Simon Wright <simon@pushface.org>]

"Dan'l Miller" <optikos@verizon.net> writes:

> On Friday, July 4, 2014 7:22:37 AM UTC-5, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> > What is the correct way to install Ada on Linux these days?
>> ...
>> > 1) Should one install GNAT on Linux by downloading tar files from
>> > http://libre.adacore.com  (GPL 2014 edition)
>
> Do this only if:
> 1) the entirety of each executable containing your Ada work and all of
> its supporting libraries are licensed under GPL; or

.. if you intend to distribute executables under the GPL.

> 2) throwaway work, such as replicating a bug; or
> 3) trying out AdaCore's version before paying the
> over-$10,000-per-seat license.

.. if paying for support is possible, you should contact AdaCore for ean
eval, since the prime benefit is access to support.

>> > or use:  sudo apt-get install gnat-4.8
>
> Do this (or analogue on various distributions of Linux) for all other
> cases.  For example, I install GCC 4.9 from http://FinkProject.org for
> my MacOSX development.

.. and I build GCC with various AdaCore libraries, released at
SourceForge. Of course this means I have to be careful about the GPL
aspects (as you do with the equivalent Debian packages). (I've never
been comfortable with fink or homebrew).

>> > 2) Will the sudo installation install all the stuff listed at
>> > libre.adacore.com?

There are several extra GNAT-related packages on Debian, eg
asis-programs.

>   No.  None of it exactly as supplied by AdaCore.  Some AdaCore
> libraries are licensed as GPL only, which is useful only in
> executables entirely licensed as GPL.  For this reason, the GPL-only
> libraries from AdaCore (i.e., dual-licensed GPL and over-$10,000 per
> seat) are generally not distributed in the open-source community.

If you look at GNAT GPL library source you will see some blank lines
after the standard GPL header; these are where the runtime exception,
which is embedded in the code provided to AdaCore supported customers
and in the FSF version, has been stripped out (I imagine there's an
automated script to do this in the release process).

>> including GPS editor and all the other packages?
>
>   No.  GPS is not distribute as source code publicly.  I am unclear
> whether source code to GPS is included in the over-$10,000-per-seat
> license for GNAT Pro.

Source code to GPS is distributed as part of GNAT GPL. But unless you
plan to distribute executables based on GPS source I don't see why you
need worry about its license; it's a development tool (cf Emacs). And it
requires a *lot* of external libraries. Just use the GPL distribution
for your system!

Actually, I suspect there's a Debian package .. yes, gnat-gps.

>> > 4) When I go to http://libre.adacore.com/download/configurations
>> > is there a way to tell it to check everything for download,
>> > without one having to spend 1 hr clicking on the check-box
>> > for each item? I do not see "select all"

You must click very slowly!