Re: [PATCH 1/13] D: The front-end (DMD) language implementation and license.

[Iain Buclaw <ibuclaw at gdcproject dot org>]

On 11 September 2017 at 17:12, Jeff Law <law@redhat.com> wrote:
> On 05/28/2017 03:02 PM, Iain Buclaw wrote:
>> (Sorry, repost as I rushed the first one a bit).
>>
>> This patch adds the DMD front-end proper and license (Boost) files,
>> comprised of a lexer, parser, and semantic analyzer.
>>
>> Split 1/4
>>
>> Gzipped because of size limitations.
> So for 1/13, these are all bits that are maintained on github and we're
> just a downstream user, right?  Meaning I don't need to do a deep dive
> in this patch within the series, right?
>
> Does this stuff get bound into GCC?  The reason I ask is the files are
> under the Boost license with ownership by Digital Mars.  While we often
> have a fair amount of leeway with runtime systems, we may not have the
> same kind of license/ownership leeway with things that are actually part
> of the compiler itself.
>
> Did the discussions between the FSF, Digital Mars and Walter touch in
> these issues at all?  Have you received any guidance from the parties on
> this issue?
>
> Is there any way this stuff could be a separate executable or DSO?  That
> might make things easier on the licensing front.
>
> Jeff

I am under the impression that Walter had assigned copyrights of the
DMD frontend to the FSF in 2011.  The license change to Boost came
about in 2014, all core maintainers of DMD did copyright assignments
to Digital Mars as a prerequisite for the transition.

Walter can you confirm the above is the case?

I would be making an assumption here that there are no problems given
the current arrangement as I understand it, but would be best to check
this with the FSF legal be sure.

Iain.