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GPL and loading/saving RTL (was: Beginner's question:Are there anyinter-procedural optimizationin GCC backend ?)
- From: Benjamin Geer <benjamin dot geer at misys dot com>
- To: Jim Wilson <wilson at specifixinc dot com>
- Cc: gcc at gcc dot gnu dot org
- Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2003 14:58:29 +0000
- Subject: GPL and loading/saving RTL (was: Beginner's question:Are there anyinter-procedural optimizationin GCC backend ?)
Jim Wilson wrote:
> There are political problems that have obstructed our
> implementation of inter procedural optimizations, as
> FSF policy forbids us from having a way to store/load RTL
> to/from files. This policy exists to prevent people from
> subverting the GPL, but as side effect is that it prevents
> us from having inter procedural optimizations, except within
> files.
Forbidding the development of certain features seems like an odd way to
protect software freedom. Could someone explain the rationale for this
policy? How would the ability to load and save RTL enable someone to
subvert the GPL? In any case, what's to stop someone from forking GCC
and adding this feature themselves?
If the GPL doesn't adequately protect the freedom of GCC, doesn't this
mean that the GPL itself needs improvement, or perhaps that it should
have an additional clause when used as the licence of GCC?
Ben