Mail Archives: djgpp/2001/07/09/10:52:29
It has come to my attention that some people feel confined by the
restrictions on WATTCP and the derivative WATT-32 networking libraries.
I never intended to make people uncomfortable using my libraries in their
programs, or uncomfortable distributing these programs on CD or FTP sites.
Please feel free to do so.
When I wrote the software, starting 12 years ago, I was trying to fill a
void because there wasn't a good choice for free TCPs to include in one's
programs.
Phil Karn's KA9Q, NCSA/CUTCP and the MIT code were all available and
good, but they were difficult to use as libraries, such as one would need
to write Lynx and other programs.
So WATTCP was intended as an alternative to what was only available
commercially, an easy-to-use socket library.
I have not made the software GPL or BSD licensed, because I don't believe
in these models. My problem is that some people fiddle slightly with the
software and then try to sell it for a large markup, and don't filter any
of that money back to the people who wrote and support the code.
So I don't mind if you use my libraries, use them to your heart's content.
But please don't try to the sell the libraries as a TCP toolkit to other
developers.
I hope this clarification helps.
Erick Engelke
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