Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!ssc-vax!bcsaic!paula
From: paula@bcsaic.UUCP (Paul Allen)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: GNU c and c++ under MINIX
Message-ID: <7726@bcsaic.UUCP>
Date: 16 Sep 88 21:35:48 GMT
References: <2358@alliant.Alliant.COM> <7656@bcsaic.UUCP> <68536@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: paula@bcsaic.UUCP (Paul Allen)
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle
Lines: 36

In article <68536@sun.uucp> alanf%smile@Sun.COM (Alan Fargusson) writes:
>There are some problems using GCC with products that are sold for profit.  Even
>though MINIX is cheap it is not free, and I don't think that Prentice Hall would
>be able to distribute the compiler.  There may be some way around this, but you
>may find yourself in court if you are not careful.

Whoa!  It's not quite that bad!  There's no problem using GNU software in
any way you see fit.  You can distribute gcc with a commercial product
if you also distribute the gcc sources or otherwise make the sources
available.  You just can't sell gcc for profit.  Also, if you create a
derivative work from a GNU product, the derivative work falls under the
GNU license and cannot be sold.  (At least, that's the way I read it!) 
If we ever got to the point where a working 386 MINIX existed, PH would
certainly be able to find a way to distribute gcc with it!

>I think that RMS has already said that he does not want FSF software to be
>distributed with MINIX.  I don't know why.

Stallman has said that gcc (and GNU products in general) will never be
ported to brain-dead toy computers like the IBM PC.  (I think those were
his exact words, too!)  GNU software requires relatively large virtual-memory 
machines.  386-based machines fit the bill quite nicely.

So, let's not debate legalities.  A 386 MINIX using gcc is possible, and
quite desirable from the point of view of a 386 owner.  The question of
whether PH would want to distribute a 386 MINIX is not related to the
question of whether we decide to create such a version.

>Alan Fargusson		Sun Microsystems
>alanf@sun.com		..!sun!alanf


-- 
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Paul L. Allen                       | paula@boeing.com
Boeing Advanced Technology Center   | ...!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!paula