[Axiom-developer] Aldor and open source

[Bill Page]

Dear Aldor Developers and Users;

As you know, Aldor was originally developed at IBM as the new
version of the Axiom library compiler. All of the original
IBM Axiom source code is now available as open source with the
sole exception of Aldor. For historical reasons, the licensing
of Aldor is different from Axiom. However in October 2005
Steven Watt told me, in response to my request for information
on the Aldor source license, that open source licensing of
Aldor was then being considered.

It is possible to use Aldor now in the open source version
of Axiom. Many Axiom developers are anxious to carry-out the
original plan of converting all of Axiom's library source code
to Aldor and to continue all new development for Axiom using
Aldor. However the current licensing conditions apparently
prevent the inclusion of the Aldor compiler source code in
the Axiom open source distribution. As a result much of the
energy to update Axiom's mathematical library has been
essentially stalled, awaiting a clarification of this issue.

Many of the Axiom developers and Axiom users have "signed"
an online petition to show there support and encourage the
compatible open source licensing of the Aldor compiler.
See:

http://wiki.axiom-developer.org/FreeAldor

Please consider adding your name to this petition.

For an advanced programming language like Aldor to live and
grow, it is essential that the user and developer communities
be as large as possible. Making the Aldor source available
under an open source license to the entire Axiom community
would greatly help both of these projects to thrive once
again.

I would like to offer to help with the process of making
Aldor open source. If any one has any suggestions about how
to do this, please let me know.

Sincerely,
Bill Page.

Cc. Steven Watt