🚀 go-pugleaf

barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin) writes:
> In article <iRNaeB6w164w@mantis.co.uk> mathew@mantis.co.uk (en font terrible)
> >If you link your programs with a library under the GLPL, you have to supply
> >object code for your programs.
> 
> So what's the problem with this?

It's a pain in the bum, especially on systems where there's no one standard
linker format.  What format of .OBJ files do we have to provide for MS-DOS?
Microsoft format?  Borland extended format?  Blinker?  RTLINK?  All of them?
Whichever the library happened to be supplied as?

> >It puts restrictions on me which other companies' licenses don't, and doesn'
> >give me much in return (i.e., all it gives me which commercial licenses
> >don't is the right to freely copy other people's software).
> 
> It also gives you the source, which many other vendors don't.

Right, but many other vendors do.  If GNU has a positive effect, I think
it will be to encourage commercial software to be supplied with source.

> >I don't use GNU products unless there is no alternative.  However, I feel
> >obliged to point out that if people who spend their time writing GNU
> >software were to spend their time writing free software instead, everyone
> >could benefit.
> 
> Not everyone.  The customers of developers who use GNU software would lose,
> because they wouldn't get sources.

Indeed.  They might have to (*gasp*) go and LOOK FOR THEM!  Yes, some evil
person might distribute Elvis without source code, and then it might take
me, ooh, minutes to find the source.

Or someone might port Elvis to some odd machine.  And not supply sources
for the ported version, in the hope of selling it.  And then... why, I'd
have to do a proper port with sources, and end up with a product much
better than his which I could probably sell to all the people who might
have bought his product.  My goodness, I'd have to compete by BEING BETTER!
What a thought!

>                                   In the case of developers who use GNU
> libraries, their customers wouldn't be able to modify the libraries and
> relink.

As I say, if GNU has a beneficial effect, it will be to encourage distribution
of sources and object files with commercial software.

> >One of the arguments put forward in favour of GNU is that it will ensure
> >that people don't have to reinvent and reimplement things all the time.
> >Yet here you are, saying "If you don't like the way I'm telling you to
> >distribute your code, go away and reimplement what I've done."
> 
> Well, the assumption underlying the argument is that developers are willing
> to use the GNU software.

And agree to the GNU license.

>                          All you have to do is adopt their philosophy of
> code sharing

Which is only one of many philosophies of code sharing, but which excludes
all others

>              and a large body of software becomes available to you, with
> full sources and copying privileges.

But if I can get the sources with my commercial product, and get benefits
like proper technical support, what's the benefit to me?  Copying privileges?
Why should I want that?

> >People who need to restrict the redistribution of the software they write
> >so that they can recoup the money they had to spend in order to write
> >it.  People who want to write software which is free of restrictions.
> 
> The FSF manages to survive on the income generated from sales of GNU
> software tapes, manuals, and some donations, even though it's available
> from other sources.

Right.  The FSF doesn't produce all types of software, however.  When I
see decent leisure software being released under the GPL, for example, I'll
be more convinced.

> If the purpose of charging for each copy is to recoup your costs, what
> happens if you sell more copies than you expected; do you stop charging or
> send your customers a refund for their share of the overage?

I don't know.  That's up to the individual.  If Mantis looked to be in any
danger of making an overall profit, we'd have to think of something.  Until
that time...


mathew

-- 
Just another would-be Mac owner put off by Apple's monopolistic practices / If
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