[Top][All Lists]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?
From: |
Jay Belanger |
Subject: |
Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor? |
Date: |
Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:05:42 -0600 |
User-agent: |
Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.0.50 (gnu/linux) |
"Bill Page" <address@hidden> writes:
...
> I would be very glad if you could write something.
So that any potential signers could get a quick grasp of the
situation, a little history might be useful. What about
something like:
Axiom is a sophisticated computer algebra system originally
developed by the the Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG). After NAG
discontinued work on Axiom, they generously released the source
code under a free license. Axiom is now very usable and is
currently being actively developed by an enthusiastic community.
It is expected to be useful in research and education for quite
some time.
The language used for writing Axiom programs is called SPAD (short
for Scratchpad, the original name of Axiom). While Axiom was still
being developed by NAG, an improved extension language called Aldor
was created. While the Aldor compiler was originally part of the
Axiom system, it soon became a separate project and was not part of
Axiom when the Axiom sources were relicensed.
Binaries for Aldor have been made freely available and the sources
are available under a generous license. However, the license does
not qualify as a free or open source license. While Axiom can
still be built using Aldor, the lack of a free license for Aldor
prohibits it from being a standard part of Axiom, and so nothing in
the base Axiom system can assume that Aldor is included.
A free license for Aldor would allow it to become a standard part
of Axiom, which would improve Axiom and make Aldor a more
widespread language. A free license available as soon as possible
would allow current development on Axiom to use Aldor.
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Aldor compiler
be released under a free license at the earliest opportunity.
Sincerely,
> I am not sure whether a formal petition is really necessary (although
> I have it very interesting to learn that websites devoted to the
> purpose actually exist ... :)
Quite a few, too.
A formal petition probably isn't necessary, but something to let
Steven Watt know that a lot of people are interested would be
useful.
> The Axiom website is a wiki (user editable), so it would be very
> easy to add a page consisting of the petition to Free Aldor. We
> could freeze the text and then readers could "sign" it by simply
> adding a comment.
That might not be a bad idea. We would have to get Steven Watt to
look at it, of course.
>From the letter from Steven Watt that you quoted, it sounds like he's
willing to free Aldor when he gets the chance. If he's like me, he
just needs a reminder now and then. Whatever we can do to provide a
nudge would be useful.
Jay
- [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, C Y, 2006/01/11
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Bill Page, 2006/01/11
- Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Jay Belanger, 2006/01/12
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Bill Page, 2006/01/12
- Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Jay Belanger, 2006/01/12
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Bill Page, 2006/01/12
- Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?,
Jay Belanger <=
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Bill Page, 2006/01/13
- Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Jay Belanger, 2006/01/13
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, C Y, 2006/01/12
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Karl Hegbloom, 2006/01/12
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Bill Page, 2006/01/12
- Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Doug Stewart, 2006/01/12
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Bill Page, 2006/01/12
- RE: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Karl Hegbloom, 2006/01/14
- Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, Frederic Lehobey, 2006/01/12
- Re: [Axiom-developer] Aldor?, C Y, 2006/01/12