"Lorenz (xha)" <m...@xha.li> writes:
On Mon, Jan 01, 2024 at 08:47:07PM +1100, Alexis wrote:
"Lorenz (xha)" <m...@xha.li> writes:
> just out of couriosity, why is "as" in the base system if it
> is
> outdated and is updating it an option?
i presume it's due to subsequent versions being licensed under
later
versions of the GPL, but i'd be happy to be corrected on this
point.
i couldn't find any discussions on why the later versions are
not
acceptable in the base system. are there any?
There's a discussion about GPL software in base at
https://www.openbsd.org/policy.html, although it doesn't mention
GPL versions:
The GNU Public License and licenses modeled on it impose the
restriction that source code must be distributed or made
available for all works that are derivatives of the GNU
copyrighted code.
While this may superficially look like a noble strategy, it is a
condition that is typically unacceptable for commercial use of
software. So in practice, it usually ends up hindering free
sharing and reuse of code and ideas rather than encouraging
it. As a consequence, no additional software bound by the GPL
terms will be considered for inclusion into the OpenBSD base
system.
For historical reasons, the OpenBSD base system still includes
the following GPL-licensed components: the GNU compiler
collection (GCC) with supporting binutils and libraries, GNU
CVS, GNU texinfo, the mkhybrid file system creation tool, and
the readline library. Replacement by equivalent, more freely
licensed tools is a long-term desideratum.
But, again, someone else will have to describe what's happening
with 'as' specifically; i'm not an OpenBSD dev myself. My
speculation about the GPL version potentially being involved comes
from Apple not including versions of software whose license had
been changed from GPL2 to GPL3 (such that e.g. versions of macOS
prior to Catalina only included GNU Emacs 22).
Alexis.
