Re: [Help-gsl] Source code for HiCalc / breach of GPL for GSL

[Dr. David Kirkby]

Li, Timothy - BLS wrote:
> Dr. Kirkby:
>
> Just supply some thoughts after your reply.
>
> I sincerely think HiCalc can live without GSL -- not to discredit GSL.
> In fact HiCalc can run even faster without it. 


You may well be right that there are more appropriate algorithms for 
small matrices on a small calculator.

But if it takes 50 ms rather than 1us it is of little practical 
difference. So speed alone is not reason to change algorithms.

But this does not change the fact the *current* release of HiCalc uses 
the GSL and so the *current* release of HiCalc should be under the GPL 
and so the *current* HiCalc source code should freely available.

Whether the HiCalc developers change a later release to another 
algorithm (either for computational and/or license reasons) does not 
make any difference to the current situation.

The HiCalc developers have clearly made money in the past by the use of 
GSL algorithms.

By releasing the source code the community will gain from the benefits 
of GPL'ed software. But if the source is kept closed people are going to 
be paying to buy new software where they might be quite happy to use an 
older one for free.

That does not seem right to me and whilst I'm not a GSL developer I feel 
the release of HiCalc under the GPL is something that should be pressed 
for.


I'd like Mathematica on a Pocket PC. but until (if) that happens a free 
open-source scientific calculator would be nice. I would object to 
buying a key for a closed source bit of software which should rightly be 
open-source.


Of course, the developers might accept this and do the right thing anyway.

PS.
Anyone who wants Mathematica on a Pocket PC might like to take a look at 
a web based interface I developed. The interface is open-source (written 
in PHP).

http://witm.sourceforge.net/

--
Dr. David Kirkby