🚀 go-pugleaf

RetroBBS NetNews Server

Inspired by RockSolid Light RIP Retro Guy

Article View: gnu.misc.discuss
Article #75671

Re: shrouded source form

#75671
From: David J. Camp
Date: Thu, 10 May 1990 05:12
48 lines
2486 bytes
>
>
>	I often see advertisements for proprietary software in 'shrouded
>source form'.  What exactly is this, anyway?  
>
>	My guess is that it is something that takes all the structure and
>comments out of a program and renames all the variables/procedure
>names to meaningless gibber.

That is correct.

>
>	Such a program would still work the same, but would be nearly
>useless as source material.

It is easy to format the code so that it is well indented.  You could
also write a simple program that assigned easier variable names, like 
x, y, & z.  Clearly, the original comments cannot be reproduced, but
only fools debug comments.  :-)

>
>	It seems that such a program would satisfy the GNU requirements
>while maintaining some level of author control.

Sure, you could apply the GNU copyright to shrounded code, but that
would defeat the purpose of the GPL.  The intent is to make the source
available, not hide it.  If you are applying the shround, your
intentions are clearly not to give it away free.  I do not see the two
as compatible in any way, but rather opposite movements.  

>
>	Comments /shrouded explanations?

I forgot who sells the C shroud.  It is not free software.  -David-

>
>-wat-
>--
>***
>    We felt the effects of herb were so dangerous that it was better
>    to lie to the american public to save them rather than tell them
>    the truth -- Partnership for a Drug Free America
>

Internet: david%wubios@wugate.wustl.edu     ^      Mr. David J. Camp
uucp: ...!uunet!wugate!wubios!david       < * >    Box 8067, Biostatistics
Washington University (314) 36-23635        v      660 South Euclid Avenue
"Depend on God, who has dominion."                 Saint Louis, MO 63110
Technical Details
Message-ID: <9005100512.AA02183@wubios.wustl.edu>
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!gmdzi!unido!mcsun!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU!david
References: <135328@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>

Show Full Headers
Complete Article Headers
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 1025b4,b5e96090d7a4a255
X-Google-Attributes: gid1025b4,public
X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1990-05-10 02:24:57 PST
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!gmdzi!unido!mcsun!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU!david
From: david@WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU (David J. Camp)
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Re: shrouded source form
Message-ID: <9005100512.AA02183@wubios.wustl.edu>
Date: 10 May 90 05:12:11 GMT
References: <135328@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Sender: karl@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Reply-To: gnu-misc-discuss@cis.ohio-state.edu
Distribution: gnu
Organization: GNUs
Lines: 48
Posted: Thu May 10 06:12:11 1990