Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!umd5!brl-adm!adm!dsill@NSWC-OAS.arpa
From: dsill@NSWC-OAS.arpa (Dave Sill)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: GNU licensing
Message-ID: <12757@brl-adm.ARPA>
Date: 1 Apr 88 14:48:12 GMT
Sender: news@brl-adm.ARPA
Lines: 28

>       (1) My understanding of BISON is that if you use it, then
>           the thing you created with it must be freely distributed.
>           Agreed?

No.  The BISON license covers only BISON and BISON derivatives
(mutations).  You are free to do whatever you want with the output of
BISON (manure?).

>       (2) What about gcc?  My understanding is that if you port
>           gcc to a new machine, it must be freely distributed.
>           Agreed?

No.  If you want to distribute such a port it must be freely
distributed, but you're free to do such a port and keep it to
yourself.

>       (3) Now, what about programs compiled with gcc?  (I.e. my
>           own code, compiled to binary using gcc.  Must the
>           binaries be freely distributed?  What about the original
>           source?

No.  As with BISON, the output of GCC is yours.

=========
The opinions expressed above are mine.

"We must remove the TV-induced stupor that lies like a fog across the
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					-- Ted Nelson