Re: Question about "Conditions for Using Bison" in Bison 2.0 documentation

[Paul Hilfinger]

In fact, this issue did get discussed when the GLR skeleton got
introduced, and the language (or lack of it) is, AIR, deliberate on
the part of the lead maintainers at the time.  On consideration, I
would prefer that the same terms apply to all skeletons as now apply
to the C LALR(1) skeleton.  I think that there does come a point at
which copylefting becomes shooting oneself in the foot.

The best presentation I've seen of the GPL for the corporate audience
goes something like this: 

    If your lawyer takes a look at the GPL, he should say something
    like, "Hmm, well this appears to be a pretty ordinary license that
    allows us to use this software under certain conditions.
    Hello---my word, these conditions certainly are liberal.
    Apparently, we don't have to pay any royalties (unlike your typical
    Microsoft license), we are free to reverse engineer (unlike your
    typical Microsoft license), to examine the source (UYTML), 
    to modify (UYTML), to redistribute (UYTML), and even to 
    publicly vilify (UYTML)."

How strange then that use of the OUTPUT from using such a program
should be more strictly controlled than is the output of MS Word!

In short, I am strongly in favor of making the terms of use for Bison
output uniformly liberal across skeletons.  

Paul Hilfinger


 > This is most likely an error: The other skeleton files did not exist at the
 > time that stuff was written. Akim Demaille is resposnible for the C++ file
 > and Paul Hilfinger for the GLR file. They probably forgot to insert the
 > correct copyright. If so, this is a Bug-Bison issue.
 > 
 > At 14:28 +0100 2005/03/09, Michel Rosien wrote:
 > >    Hello, =A0 I have read the "Conditions for Using Bison" on  page 3 of t
h=
 > e
 > Bison 2.0 documentation. The first lines say: =A0 <quote> As of Bison versio
n
 > 1.24, we have changed the  distribution terms for yyparse to permit using
 > Bison's output in nonfree  programs when Bison is generating C code for
 > LALR(1) parsers <end quote> =A0 Does this mean that=A0this only applies when
 > using the skeleton file=A0yacc.c and that this NOT applies when using the
 > skeleton files glr.c or lalr1.cc? This would mean that you can not make glr
 > parsers (%glr-parser) or c++ parsers if you want to use the output in
 > nonfree  programs. =A0 The last lines of the "Conditions for using Bison"
 > mention:  <quote> You can tell whether the exception applies to your  '.c'
 > output file by inspecting it to see whether it says  "As a special
 > exception, when this file is copied  by Bison into a Bison output file, you
 > may use that output file without  restriction." <end quote> =A0 If I inspect
 > the skeleton files yacc.c , glr.c and  lalr1.cc I see that only yacc.c
 > contains this text. =A0 Is this correct? If so, could you explain why this
 > distinction is made? =A0 Regards, =A0
 > --Michel_______________________________________________
 > >address@hidden http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-bison
 > 
 > 
 >