Compile From Source With Modification

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nimdays
Posts: 236
Joined: May 29, 2014 22:01
Location: West Java, Indonesia

Compile From Source With Modification

Post by nimdays »

Good morning Admin,
I just compiled the latest 1.05 and ok, can i make a little modification to add my distribution ?

src/compiler/fbc.bas

Code: Select all

private sub hPrintVersion( )
	...
	print "FreeBASIC Compiler - Version " + FB_VERSION + _
		" (" + FB_BUILD_DATE + "), built for My Distro " + fbGetHostId( ) + " (" & fbGetHostBits( ) & "bit)"
	...
end sub
And if permitted maybe add "Compiled By"
St_W
Posts: 1619
Joined: Feb 11, 2009 14:24
Location: Austria
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Re: Compile From Source With Modification

Post by St_W »

The FreeBasic Compiler is licensed under GNU GPLv2 or later (that is GPLv2 or GPLv3 currently). Note that the runtime library as well as the graphics library and other code, which may be considered parts of the compiler are licensed under different licenses. See https://github.com/freebasic/fbc/blob/master/readme.txt , section "Licensing" for more details.

Please read the according license texts for information about your rights and obligations when using, modifying or distributing the code.
GPLv2: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
GPLv3: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt

A short summary (that may not be accurate, so please read the full license texts): You may modify the compiler source code (in src/compiler/), but you have to take care about a few things as soon as you distribute any part of that code not as source code (e.g. as a compiled executable):
a) publish your exact modifications to the source code so others can reproduce them
b) use an appropriate copyright notice and keep existing copyright notices intact
d) include a copy of the GPL (license text)
e) do not add/remove license terms
f) keep disclaimer intact

---

The license was chosen to allow people to modify the compiler AND to ensure that all modification may be used to improve the compiler. The original intent is that you modify the code to fix a bug or add some improvements, you send your modifications to the compiler developers for review and they integrate it in the official product.

In contrast your aim to publish a compiled version only with added notices about the author of the build looks a bit childish IMHO.
However, if you respect all terms of the GPL your intent is legal.
nimdays
Posts: 236
Joined: May 29, 2014 22:01
Location: West Java, Indonesia

Re: Compile From Source With Modification

Post by nimdays »

Sorry for my absent,

@St_W, thanks this is likely customization rather than found a bug or add improvement.
Do you think still necessary to send your modifications to the compiler developers for review ?
The problem is this is not a perfect world ,for example not 1,2,3 times i must edit the makefile or include a necessary header because the compiler can't find it.
About 'compiled by', yes a bit childish and that's optional for me.
St_W
Posts: 1619
Joined: Feb 11, 2009 14:24
Location: Austria
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Re: Compile From Source With Modification

Post by St_W »

It just said that's the intent of open source software. You don't have to send your changes back to the developers, you just have to make them available. I think the license even allows you to do that just on request, but I'm not sure.

In general, all that restrictions practically only get effective when you distribute your binary copy/modification. If you only do changes for yourself you don't have to do anything. If you pass it on to friends or use it inside a company you'd have to make the source available to them if they would ask for it, but in practice you probably don't have to care about anything either. In contrast, if you'd publish it on the internet or ship it as part of a product you should make sure to obey all the license terms.

However, even if you'd violate the license probably nothing will happen as nobody will sue you, as there's no big company behind FreeBasic.
Enforcement of the license is just theory IMHO - it's possible but very unlikely. In practice we assume you have good intentions.
nimdays
Posts: 236
Joined: May 29, 2014 22:01
Location: West Java, Indonesia

Re: Compile From Source With Modification

Post by nimdays »

St_W wrote:It just said that's the intent of open source software. You don't have to send your changes back to the developers, you just have to make them available. I think the license even allows you to do that just on request, but I'm not sure.

In general, all that restrictions practically only get effective when you distribute your binary copy/modification. If you only do changes for yourself you don't have to do anything. If you pass it on to friends or use it inside a company you'd have to make the source available to them if they would ask for it, but in practice you probably don't have to care about anything either. In contrast, if you'd publish it on the internet or ship it as part of a product you should make sure to obey all the license terms.

However, even if you'd violate the license probably nothing will happen as nobody will sue you, as there's no big company behind FreeBasic.
Enforcement of the license is just theory IMHO - it's possible but very unlikely. In practice we assume you have good intentions.
Thanks a lot for better explanations,i don't pay attention about gpl ,I made several projects with gpl license(sourceforge)
Actually i want to push this to tinycore repo since the last update is very old (0.23) and i think maybe i'll stick with the original.

@caseih, i think it's better to prevent post deletion but that's only my opinion :)
dkl
Site Admin
Posts: 3235
Joined: Jul 28, 2005 14:45
Location: Germany

Re: Compile From Source With Modification

Post by dkl »

Adjusting the fbc version string makes sense especially if you have modified/patched it and the behaviour is different from the original upstream fbc. Otherwise I wouldn't bother.
nimdays
Posts: 236
Joined: May 29, 2014 22:01
Location: West Java, Indonesia

Re: Compile From Source With Modification

Post by nimdays »

Thank you
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