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Ada is a great language, I learned it and planned on using it for programs and libraries that need performance. I gave up because of the licensing situation. U

Ada is a great language, I learned it and planned on using it for programs and libraries that need performance. I gave up because of the licensing situation. Unless you plan to write 100% GPL software it's pointless. The FSF version of GNAT under mGPL license is always lagging behind and many essential libraries are still under GPL. Moreover, you will be pretty much locked into AdaCore as the compiler producer even with the free version, since AdaCore is the single main contributor and pushes the latest standards like Ada 2012. AFAIK, no other compiler supports Ada 2012, and the other compilers are proprietary and expensive anyway. AdaCore is at the same time the biggest maintainer and biggest destroyer of Ada. They make sure that only the GPL version is easy to install, easy to get, fully maintained, and every program you deploy that is compiled with that version is automatically under the GPL. That's why Ada is slowly dying and I'm not sure the good folks at AdaCore really get it.

elteto 8y ago
Hmmm... Is that how the GPL works? Or is AdaCore adding a rider to the GPL saying that all software compiled with their tools must also follow the GPL?
- xeeeeeeeeeeenu 8y ago
  Linking with GNAT standard library is the problem, it's not about the compiler itself.
  - Fabien_C 8y ago
    And only for the Community release.
analognoise 8y ago
100% this.
Hasknewbie 8y ago
>> That's why Ada is slowly dying and I'm not sure the good folks at AdaCore really get it. I made the same complaint in a previous "someone just rediscovered Ada" quarterly thread, and an Adacore dev replied that most of their lib are now GPL + linking exception (well, he didn't say "now", but on their former Web site it's pretty clear no exception was mentioned anywhere regarding their OSS code, so I assume there was a change recently). I agree with your sentiment in that, Adacore being into high end consulting, I don't see what they'd be losing by relaxing their licencing. This would bring in new people (I mean, if there's a new "hey I just found out about that Ada thing" thread popping up every few months here or on Reddit, clearly the language has something going for itself), which is clearly something they want to see happen.
pjmlp 8y ago
Given that Ada core is the only Ada vendor that cares about community, people should actually be grateful GNAT exists at all. Ask GreenHills, PTC, OC Systems about similar contributions.

elteto 8y ago

Hmmm... Is that how the GPL works? Or is AdaCore adding a rider to the GPL saying that all software compiled with their tools must also follow the GPL?

xeeeeeeeeeeenu 8y ago
Linking with GNAT standard library is the problem, it's not about the compiler itself.
- Fabien_C 8y ago
  And only for the Community release.

analognoise 8y ago

100% this.

Hasknewbie 8y ago

>> That's why Ada is slowly dying and I'm not sure the good folks at AdaCore really get it. I made the same complaint in a previous "someone just rediscovered Ada" quarterly thread, and an Adacore dev replied that most of their lib are now GPL + linking exception (well, he didn't say "now", but on their former Web site it's pretty clear no exception was mentioned anywhere regarding their OSS code, so I assume there was a change recently). I agree with your sentiment in that, Adacore being into high end consulting, I don't see what they'd be losing by relaxing their licencing. This would bring in new people (I mean, if there's a new "hey I just found out about that Ada thing" thread popping up every few months here or on Reddit, clearly the language has something going for itself), which is clearly something they want to see happen.

pjmlp 8y ago

Given that Ada core is the only Ada vendor that cares about community, people should actually be grateful GNAT exists at all. Ask GreenHills, PTC, OC Systems about similar contributions.