Mailing-List: contact cygwin-help@sourceware.cygnus.com; run by ezmlm List-Subscribe: List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: , Sender: cygwin-owner@sources.redhat.com Delivered-To: mailing list cygwin@sources.redhat.com Message-ID: <3AA74730.D4C575FC@ece.gatech.edu> Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2001 03:47:44 -0500 From: "Charles S. Wilson" X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 [en] (WinNT; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Alexandre Oliva CC: Christopher Faylor , autoconf@gnu.org, cygwin@cygwin.com Subject: Re: Detecting the need for -mwin32 in newer cygwin gcc's References: <20010307161214.A20717@redhat.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Alexandre Oliva wrote: > > On Mar 7, 2001, Christopher Faylor wrote: > > > Basically, I think we need something like a AC_PROG_GCC_USES_MWIN32. > > I have mixed feelings about having this macro in autoconf. On one > hand, it would be kind of promoting the use of proprietary software. Speaking as a cygwin user *not* affiliated with Cygnus/Red Hat, cygwin is sortof schizophrenic. On one hand, it is a totally free (speech & beer, libre' and gratis), GPL'ed, software platform. On the other hand, it's also distributed with a proprietary license. If a developer whose product depends on cygwin is content to opensource his product, then he can use and distribute cygwin under its GPL license and we all win --- more libre' software for everyone. Otherwise, the developer can negotiate with Cygwin for a proprietary license, and keep his own source closed. Not ideal, certainly, but I've got no problem with Cygwin/Red Hat "punishing" folks that want to stay closed, while making a little money on it. That helps those of us on the libre' side -- imposing a "tax" on closed-source development encourages free (libre') alternatives. So, by absorbing AC_PROG_GCC_USES_MWIN32, are you helping the GPL half, or the proprietary half? By refusing to absorb it, are you hurting the proprietary half, or the GPL half? Both, of course. Which is more important? --Chuck -- Want to unsubscribe from this list? Check out: http://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple