From: "M. Schulter" <mschulter AT value DOT net>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: DJGPP
Date: 2 Oct 1997 18:48:09 GMT
Organization: Value Net Internetwork Services Inc.
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Message-ID: <610q99$j8f$1@vnetnews.value.net>
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Robert McNulty <bobbymcn AT the-link DOT net> wrote:
: What does Delorie mean by Free Compiler? Do I have to pay money to use it
: or is it freedom in using it?

Please let me begin by directing you to Section 19 of the DJGPP FAQ, which
discusses legal aspects of DJGPP in some detail.

You raise an interesting question about the double meaning of "free,"
which can refer either to price (or lack thereof) or freedom of use.
Generally speaking, DJGPP is "free" in both senses, both with some very
important cautions that the FAQ covers.

For example, if you use certain GNU libraries, then your program would
come under the GNU Library General Public License (LGPL), designed to
insure that source or object code for your program is freely available to
anyone using your program, so that they relink the program with later
versions of the library.

Similarly, if you use contributed libraries such as Allegro, GRX, JPTUI,
etc., then you should check the conditions for use established by the
author(s) of each library. 

Also, if you wish to redistribute DJGPP itself, there are some important
conditions and cautions discussed in the FAQ. These protections are
designed, for example, to be sure that the people who worked on DJGPP get
fair credit, and also to be sure that DJGPP users know where to get the
latest version. 

Let me conclude by saying that DJGPP is a fine model of what free software
development can achieve. 

Most appreciatively,

Margo Schulter
mschulter AT value DOT net