GNU C Compiler

[John Coolidge]

[Followups to comp.unix.aux; the FSF does not want Apple-related
 discussions on the gnu.* groups (except maybe gnu.misc.discuss).
 However, some misinformation here needs fixing or some FSFers will die
 of apoplexy :-)]

kaleb at thyme.jpl.nasa.gov (Kaleb Keithley) writes:
>In article umh at vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes:
>>In article javier at cs.toronto.edu (Javier Pinto) writes: 
>>> 
>>> A friend of mine has an apple MAC IIfx and wants to use some software 
>>> package called MOTIF. To mount the software, he tells me that GNU C is 
>>> required. Can anybody help me out on this one?
>>> 
>>As a fellow Mac owner I sympathize with your friend. He is out of luck- no GNU 
>>products are available for the Mac, because the Free Software Foundation, who
>>write all GNU stuff, have a very strong opposition to companies that try to
>>retain market share by suing competition rather than by making better products,
>>and of course we all know Apple's stand on this issue. 

>Most of this is patently false.  Your ramblings might be more appropriate for 
>alt.religion.computers. :-)

>Apple has two different ports of gcc.  Apple distributes an A/UX version,
>source and binaries, for a fee.  Don't act surprised, FSF charges money
>for tapes too, and they don't include the binaries.

This is not true. The port of A/UX done by David Berry (formerly of
Apple) and maintained by me is distributed for free via ftp from either
Apple or wuarchive.wustl.edu (the wuarchive version tends to be more
up-to-date). As far as I know, no one has ever tried to charge for this;
the only case under which I would consider charging is a nominal fee if
someone needs it mailed on diskettes (I might want a dollor or two per
disk to cover time spent copying things, nothing more). Source and
binaries are available. Any changes would be happily given back to the
FSF, if they wanted them; we're staying within the spirit of the GPL.

Any discussion about the boycott should be on gnu.misc.discuss; it does
NOT belong here.

>Plus, there is an MPW 
>version available by anon ftp from apple.com in the /pub/mpw-gcc directory.

Actually, this has moved to ftp.apple.com, I think. I've never used it.

--John

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
John L. Coolidge     Internet:coolidge at cs.uiuc.edu   UUCP:uiucdcs!coolidge
Of course I don't speak for the U of I (or anyone else except myself)
Copyright 1991 John L. Coolidge. Copying allowed if (and only if) attributed.
You may redistribute this article if and only if your recipients may as well.