Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!ames!hao!noao!mcdsun!fnf From: fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (Fred Fish) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Disks 103-110 now available Message-ID: <428@mcdsun.UUCP> Date: Fri, 30-Oct-87 18:05:07 EST Article-I.D.: mcdsun.428 Posted: Fri Oct 30 18:05:07 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 5-Nov-87 05:31:58 EST References: <426@mcdsun.UUCP> Reply-To: fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (Fred Fish) Organization: Motorola Microcomputer Division Lines: 58 Keywords: "Fish disks" In article <426@mcdsun.UUCP> fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (Fred Fish) writes: >Mailing of preordered disks begins tonight and should be complete by >this weekend. So watch your mailboxes... Gaak! I have just been informed that there are problems distributing binaries produced by Absoft's Fortran compiler unless certain conditions have been met. These conditions will preclude distribution of disks 107 and 108 for the moment. Luckily, no disks have gotten out at this point, so I can just reshuffle the numbers (pull disks 107, 108 and move 109, 110 down). This will delay distribution until Saturday or Sunday, and only 6 disks will be distributed in this batch. Any non-Fortran material from the original 107-108 will be moved to a future disk. For those that are interested, after this problem was brought to my attention by an alert comp.sys.amiga reader (thank you Bob!). I called Absoft to determine the necessary conditions for distribution of programs compiled with Absoft's Fortran, and linked with their runtime support routines. My current understanding is that there are three conditions that must be met: 1) The original developer must obtain and sign a license agreement which absolves Absoft of all liability for use of the program. There are other terms in the agreement but the liability one seemed to be the most important issue. There is no charge for the license, and only the original developer needs to obtain it before distribution. Third party redistributers (I.E. me :-) are not required to get one. 2) At execution time a copyright message must be displayed in the startup screen indicating that portions of the executable are copyrighted by Absoft, and similar notices must appear in any documentation. There seem to be two reasons for this: (1) they want the free PR, (2) they want it to be clear that they maintain rights to portions of the executable code. It is not clear what should happen if you have no documentation, or if you have no startup screen. I would be inclined to believe that a statically compiled in copyright message would be sufficient in this case. 3) Only a pure linked executable may be distributed. No other portions of the Absoft environment (such as dynamically loaded libraries if any) may be distributed without special arrangements. (No surprises here) I hope I got all the facts straight. In my opinion, Absoft is within their rights to set these conditions, and they probably have good reasons (to them) for the conditions. Given the current marketplace with compilers for other languages that do not have all these limitations (C, Modula, Assembly, etc), I can see how this might discourage use of their product in favor of another language. This is a shame since it is, from all reports, a VERY nice product. -Fred -- # Fred Fish hao!noao!mcdsun!fnf (602) 438-3614 # Motorola Computer Division, 2900 S. Diablo Way, Tempe, Az 85282 USA