On Fri, 2010-02-19 at 15:59 -0800, Robert Miesen wrote: > Based on my understanding of the Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition > EULA > <http://download.microsoft.com/documents/useterms/Visual%20Studio_2008%20Standard%20Edition_English_4c240268-8ee9-4cf3-96cf-3bd5ef02a81f.pdf>, > > there shouldn't be any problem using a Visual C/C++ compiler instead of > GCC, so long as you have a license to do so. This is, of course, > assuming that neither Mozilla Firefox or ReactOS are either breaching > copyrights held by Microsoft or trying to claim code Microsoft wrote as > their own. If either of these two assumptions are false, it wouldn't > matter what compiler you are using; you could expect legal trouble > sooner or later. > > The truth about Visual Studio being "free" is that it is free as in > beer, not as in freedom to modify Visual Studio's source code (though > you can write add-ins for it). What that means is that you are permitted > to use Visual Studio to do commercial development, so long as you are > either using a commercially-licensed version of Visual Studio or are > using an Express Edition (for more information about using the Express > Editions for commercial development, see > http://www.microsoft.com/express/Support/Support-faq.aspx and scroll > down to "Can I use Express Editions for commercial use"). If you are > using a student version, you /cannot/ use it to do commercial > development. But the short answer for those living and developing the > brave GNU world is that using Visual Studio for FOSS development is > perfectly legal and is really a question of personal taste, personal > views, and technology preferences.
What will Microsoft think of the ReactOS project trying to use Microsoft Visual Studio Express to compile a GPL'ed Windows compatible operating system? Is GCC inadequate because of Microsoft's structured exception handling? I don't think Microsoft ever intended to hand a compiler to people intent on bringing an end to shrink wrapped multi hundred dollar copies of Windows. Does the Linux Unified Kernel project use Microsoft tools? _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
