David Brown <david.br...@hesbynett.no> writes: > > So why /do/ people use it? I suspect that one of the biggest reason is > > "it's the only compiler that will do the job". For a lot of important > > software, such as Linux kernel, it is gcc or nothing. Another big > > reason is that gcc comes with their system, which is commonly the case > > for Linux systems. In the embedded development world (where I work), > > the normal practice for getting a toolchain for a microcontroller is to > > download an IDE and toolchain from the manufacturer - and these days it > > is more often gcc than not. You use gcc because that is the standard, > > not from choice. > > > > For those that actively /choose/ gcc, why do they do so? I'd guess > > being convenient, well-known and free (as in beer) come a lot higher > > than the details of the licence, or the difference between "free > > software" and "open source software". (For me, a major reason is that > > the same compiler supports a wide range of targets. That, and that gcc > > is technically a better compiler for my needs than any alternatives.) > > To summarize, following are the reasons: > > 1. It compiles complex projects like Linux kernel[1]. > 2. It comes bundled with system > 3. Bundled with IDE toolchains for embedded programming > 4. Free (as in beer) > 5. Supports wide range of targets > 6. GCC is technically better compiler for specific needs > > I agree with all of the things. And I agree that a minority of the GCC > users and developers care about “Free Software” (as in freedom). What I > want to emphasize is that, once LLVM catches up on the above 6 points, > it will be only those who care about “freedom” that will stick to the > project.
For users, the license will not matter much and the above reasons will most likely cover their needs. For developers, I think the GPL matters very much. It introduces fairness in the contribution process - companies and individuals can contribute code knowing that it can't be taken away and locked up, to be modified, sold and distributed as binary packages (eg. Nvidia). If ever there is something like a Libre Toolchain Foundation or similar in the future, stressing and advertising how the GPL protects code contributions can make a difference, IMHO.
