From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,77a3432eb1460969 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII Path: g2news1.google.com!news3.google.com!news.glorb.com!newspeer1.se.telia.net!se.telia.net!masternews.telia.net.!newsb.telia.net.POSTED!not-for-mail From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Bj=F6rn_Persson?= User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0.7-1.1.fc4 (X11/20050929) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: License and Compiler Confusion References: <122asvvbd4aru87@corp.supernews.com> In-Reply-To: <122asvvbd4aru87@corp.supernews.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Message-ID: Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 20:33:22 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 83.250.106.90 X-Complaints-To: abuse@telia.com X-Trace: newsb.telia.net 1143318802 83.250.106.90 (Sat, 25 Mar 2006 21:33:22 CET) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 21:33:22 CET Organization: Telia Internet Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:3607 Date: 2006-03-25T20:33:22+00:00 List-Id: Jason C. Wells wrote: > I am a FreeBSD user. I was thinking of picking up a language and I am > considering Ada. A wise choice. Welcome. > I prefer to use a compiler that doesn't encumber my programs with any > terms. So I am confused by seemingly contradictory statements. One > source says I can't use gnat without encumbering my programs. Another > source says I can use gcc and my programs won't be encumbered. > > Are gcc and gnat two different pieces of software? I was under the > impression that gnat was simply gcc with Ada related tweaks. It's a lot more than just tweaks, but your impression was basically correct: Gnat is the Ada part of GCC. Adacore develops Gnat, and also packages and distributes Gnat in such a way that it may seem like a separate product. The license of the compiler itself is GPL in all cases, but in the stock GCC distribution (and in Gnat 3.15p) there is an exception in the license of the run-time library so that it doesn't affect the license of the programs you compile. Adacore has removed this exception from Gnat GPL, so Gnat GPL may only be used for GPL programs. It's no wonder that you're confused, but the rule is simple when you know it: If the GPL isn't your license of choice, don't use Gnat GPL. Use the Gnat that is part of GCC instead. -- Bj�rn Persson PGP key A88682FD omb jor ers @sv ge. r o.b n.p son eri nu