Re: GNAT packages in Linux distributions

["Yannick Duchêne (Hibou57)" <yannick_duchene@yahoo.fr>]

Le Sun, 09 May 2010 21:36:58 +0200, Dmitry A. Kazakov  
<mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> a écrit:
> Hmm, that would make sense only for bugs related to the compiler
> environment, packaging etc. If the bug is a compiler problem, there is no
> chance it can be fixed unless somebody is working on the compiler itself.
> For example, there is a bug in assignment of controlled objects. It  
> crashes
I was to report some bugs as well about GNAT (there was some about  
protected types, that's why your words make me though about it, however,  
there some others as well), and gave up to send bug reports when I've  
learned from people using the Pro version those bugs were already fixed  
for long.

Yes, it seems obvious the differences between GNAT Pro and GNAT GPL are  
not only a matter of support (or lack of support) or of license  
(commercial application allowed vs disallowed) : it seems these are two  
different compilers.

> So, when (if) GNAT GPL 2010 come, nothing will sufficiently change for  
> FSF?
> That is very disappointing. I hoped to jump off the GPL track (not  
> because
> of the license issue).
That's why I like to hear Randy talking about its compiler and that's why  
I oftenly ask questions about this and that related to Ada compilers in  
the large. I would like to switch to another one... unfortunately, being  
jobless for too long, even something as cheap as Janus Ada Compiler is not  
accessible to me (and does not target BSD or UNIX-like too, that's another  
matter).

I would not want to talk about things I'm not aware of, any way, what I am  
thinking about it (just personal beliefs) : obviously, an Ada compiler is  
lot of work, and anybody work better when receiving something in return  
which makes his/her life easier (what ever could say GPL advocates about  
it). I believe the GPL version is just far to be a priority for AdaCore  
(as long as I refer to some bugs I have talked about and for which I get  
an answer of the form “Hey, this is fixed for long in GNAT Pro”).

AdaCore (or its ancestor) was initially mandated (is that the good word ?)  
to create a GPL Ada 95 compiler based on the GCC compiler chain (this was  
part of the requirements), to help ensure some good place for the Ada  
technology, to promote the language and its philosophy. This contract was  
largely fulfilled by AdaCore or its ancestor and its obligations about it  
has ended. AdaCore has no obligations at all concerning Ada 2005 nor any  
future Ada 2015 (or 2012... I don't know).

Please, note the above are personal beliefs.

P.S. What you are pointing about is not Fedora or UNIX-like specific, this  
is the same with the Windows version, this is mostly specific to the GPL  
version.

P.P.S. I wonder why, being an owner of a GNAT Pro license, you need the  
GPL version ? You will get just less with the GPL version.


-- 
No-no, this isn't an oops ...or I hope (TM) - Don't blame me... I'm just  
not lucky