Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

FSF, GCC, and SCO Compiler Support

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hadn't-really-thought-of-that-one dept.

Ancipital was one of several who noted that a special patch is going into GCC. The file is README.SCO, and it is a short writeup about the SCO situation written by the FSF. It stops short of demanding that GCC developers strip SCO support from the compiler, and says more will be announced before the next compiler release.

3 of 525 comments (clear)

  1. Difficult by passthecrackpipe · · Score: 5, Informative
    As much as I loath the actions that SCO is taking, this is a difficult issue. Explicitly removing support for SCO systems from GCC goes against the open source definition, items 5 and 6:

    • 5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
      The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.
    • 6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
      The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic research.
    Does this mean the FSF is no longer open source compatible? For the knee-jerkers out there, this is not a troll, it is a serious question. The issue is that Free software should be free, warts and all. Unintended consequences aside, you can't just remove the right to use GCC of any organisation that uses SCO software, it's not right....
    --
    People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
  2. -1 Troll by samhalliday · · Score: 5, Informative
    It stops short of demanding that GCC developers strip SCO support from the compiler, and says more will be announced before the next compiler release.

    did the submitter even read the README?? it says no such thing, and i quote:

    "We have been urged to drop support for SCO Unix from this release of GCC ...snip... we have decided not to take that action. The Free Software Foundation's overriding goal is to protect the freedom of the free software community, including developers and users"
  3. Re:SCO maintains GCC on their platforms by KeanJohnston · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well sir, if you had ever actually contributed to the GCC project you would know that they have very strict rules regarding copyright assignment. I have a copyright assignment on file that covers just about every GNU project. Any work I contribute to GCC or other GNU projects is protected by it, and the FSF holds the copyright to my work.

    If you ARE a contributor then you know this already and shame on you for trying to spread FUD. And as for who says they want my help ... so far, they do. I was quite warmly welcomed to the GCC team, and I thank them for it.

    Kean