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From: valentin@btr.BTR.COM (Valentin Pepelea  valentin@btr.com)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: Source to OS (Was Re:  Information on Amiga Technical Reference Seri)
Message-ID: <3034@public.BTR.COM>
Date: 12 Jun 91 08:53:12 GMT
Organization: BTR Communications, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 40

In article <22326@cbmvax.commodore.com> mks@cbmvax.commodore.com (Michael
Sinz) writes:
>>>>
>>>> Please explain what is so bad about releasing the source code ? I
>>>> don't see your point.
>
>In addition to the disaster (see below), why should we release to the
>public part of the secrets that make the Amiga what it is?  Why should
>we "give away" the many hundreds of thousands of hours of work and design
>that C= has paid for and is hoping makes the Amiga a better machine than
>many of the others?

This argument is invalid. The source code of the OS is protected by copyrights.
You may show it, list it, publish it, distribute photocopies of it, let the
entire universe see and analyse it, and you will still hold the copyright onto
it, preventing others to use it without your permission.

>>The intent of publishing source code isn't so people can make better
>>versions, although it might be a neat school project :)  Ever have
>>a question like, "Does RectFill() use QBlit()?"  Well, the answer can
>>be found in the code (or you can bug folks on the net with the question... :)
>
>Ah, but if your code works correctly, you should not care.  Not only that,
>but if we need to change the OS, you better not care.  Here is where a
>major reason comes from.

You are missing the point. Looking at the source code will give the reader
a much better understanding of what a function does then those foggy
autodocs. It will in no way encourage the misuse of these functions. Many full
page autodocs explain the actions of a mere 5 line routine.

I recommend to everybody to seek out Markus Wandel's disassembly of the Exec
if they wish to understand the inner workings of the OS.

Valentin
-- 
"An operating system without virtual memory      Name:      Valentin Pepelea
 is an operating system without virtue."         Phone:     (408) 985-1700
                                                 Usenet:    mips!btr!valentin
                     - Ancient Inca Proverb      Internet:  valentin@btr.com