RE: [Lynx-dev] Version Inqury

[Thomas Dickey]

On Mon, 14 Feb 2011, Johnson, Tracy wrote:

> > On Mon, 14 Feb 2011, Johnson, Tracy wrote:
> >
> > > Hello I just subscribed.
> > >
> > > I'm trying to discover who wrote the lynx port to the MPE operating
> > > system.
> > >
> > > Any ideas?
> > >
> > > HP has it on one remaining server and lists it as 'author unknown'.
> >
> > I haven't seen that.  googling, I can see some mention of it
> > (www.robelle.com).  That would be before I started working on
> > it in 1997.
> > At that point, there was a top-level makefile with ~40 targets to
> > customize for various platforms.
> >
> > None of those mentioned MPE (though there may have been other
> > names for
> > it).  For instance, there's some "snake" target which I never
> > was able to
> > identify.  Even for that, there's no author mentioned.
> >
> > Where's the package?
> >
> > --
> > Thomas E. Dickey
> > http://invisible-island.net
> > ftp://invisible-island.net
>
> The source is on one server that is off the grid at HP.
>
> HP is willing to cut a copy for me if I can get 'permission' from the
> author.
>
> Robelle was not on my radar however.

Robelle's webpage refers to the website at University of Kansas (which 
could refer to any time before 1997).  While it's possible that the MPE 
port was done prior to the 2.4 release in 1995 (which seems to be the 
first using the GPL), it's unlikely.

The earliest version that I have at hand (2.4.2, November 1996) uses the 
same "COPYHEADER" file which exists (updated) in current code. That gives 
a 1995 date for copyright by University of Kansas, states that the code is 
released using GPL version 2, and that inquiries should be directed to 
Michael Grobe.

That file, and the text for the GPL (in "COPYING") are supposed to be 
included in any package.  They provide "'permission' from the author".

So all you need to do is to point this out to HP...

> Fortunately I'm one of their customers.  I can ask them if they had
> anything to do with it.

They might or might not.  The HP porting center has a mixture, with often 
incorrect summaries, and I've pointed out corrections to it more than 
once.

--
Thomas E. Dickey
http://invisible-island.net
ftp://invisible-island.net