[GEM Development] version of opengem for easy use for windowsusers

[Shane M. Coughlan]

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Owen Rudge wrote:
> Indeed, can stuff we don't actually have the source for be described as
> being released under the GPL (eg, Paint)? ie, is all the stuff here -
> http://www.retroarchive.org/cpm/archive/unofficial/gemworld.html - GPL?

Answer: yes, but it's a bit broken.  In other words, no one is holding
the source or preventing the source being released.  The DR code was
GPL'd, but substantial amount of sources were lost (IIRC) in a flood.

The binary code that is quite literally missing its source is still
covered by the GPL, but we are not able to provide a simple
human-readable source.  This does not prevent the overarching goal of
the GPL license applying: you can use the software for any purpose, you
can modify the software, you can share the software, and you can release
improvements.

The key issue is that it's difficult to modify or improve the software
due to a lack of source code.  At least reverse engineering is still
possible without a clean room.

It's a slightly unusual situation.  We were given a lot of code that was
regarded as 'dead.'

Regarding legality, there was an interesting email from Matthias Paul

==

[snip]
BTW. Since the 8080/Z80 CPUs were mentioned here these days, I'd
like to mention that Bryan Sparks, then-times CEO of Lineo, Inc.
has also issued a general license in 2001 to allow the collection,
distribution, and further development of any CP/M-based technology
as part of the late Tim Olmstead's site "Unofficial CP/M Archive."
After Tim's unfortunate death (cancer), this site is now maintained
by Gaby Chaudry and supported by CP/M fans all over the world:

 http://www.gaby.de

Caldera & Lineo have also contributed all CP/M related sources and
binaries they could still find in their archives. Most of the stuff
has gone lost somewhere somewhen at Novell times, though. :-(

(In 1997, it was difficult enough to even track down all the Novell DOS
7 sources, and parts of the system had to (and have been) become re-
engineered in order to go forward and not have to go a step backward
with the release of DR-DOS 7.02. Caldera OpenDOS 7.01 did not include
all the latest Novell DOS 7 sources, unfortunately.)

Still, over the years a wealth of different versions and OEM adaptations
of CP/M-80, MP/M-80, CP/M-86, MP/M-86, Personal CP/M-86, Concurrent
CP/M-86, CP/M-68K, etc. as well as related tools, drivers, networking
software, and applications have already been collected at Gaby's site,
including some of the earliest and historically most relevant issues of
CP/M from around 1974 with the late Gary Kildall's (the inventor of CP/M
and founder of Intergalactic Digital Research and Digital Research,
Inc.) original source code comments.

If someone reading this still has some CP/M, MP/M, or otherwise related
files in personal archives, they are highly welcome at Gaby's site and
can be legally shared there now.

==

Much the same terms apply to GEM.

However, as I mentioned before OpenGEM 6 is going on a diet.  It's going
to be a bit smaller than previous OpenGEM Complete releases.  The focus
will be on having a GUI distribution, rather than a GUI+lots of
applications distribution.

Shane

- --
Shane Martin Coughlan
e: shane at shaneland.co.uk
m: +447773180107
w: www.shaneland.co.uk
- ---
Projects:
http://mobility.opendawn.com	http://gem.opendawn.com
http://enigmail.mozdev.org	http://www.winpt.org
- ---
Organisations:
http://www.fsfeurope.org	http://www.fsf.org
http://www.labour.org.uk	http://www.opensourceacademy.gov.uk
- ---
OpenPGP: http://www.shaneland.co.uk/personalpages/shane/files/publickey.asc
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