Why so few Python jobs? (and licenses)

[Cliff Wells]

On Friday 12 October 2001 01:45, Alex Martelli wrote:

> I thought sources came with most commercial libraries -- since you may
> need to recompile them with so many different options (MS VC++ is very
> unforgiving about linking object codes compiled with different runtime
> libraries, etc, etc).  I'm pretty sure we have source for all the

Maybe (and I've never used VC++).  In our case the library was actually an 
entire subapplication for displaying map data.  It used a proprietary format 
for the data and provided only headers and .o files (no, I didn't choose this 
route - I didn't even work here at the time).  We sold systems that utilized 
this package (luckily to only a few customers).  That was a few years ago.  
Suddenly, out of the blue, one of these customers wants to import updated 
maps from some CAD software they have.  We find that the library provider has 
gone under, and we have no way of converting the maps.  Our customer is 
screwed and we're faced with rewriting an entire subsystem of our software.  
Had the source been available, this obviously wouldn't be a problem.

> Non-commercial open-source libraries with non-restrictive licenses (a
> la BSD, X, or Python) are of course another class of alternatives yet.

No disagreement there, although I still don't see the problem with the LGPL 
(since we are discussing libraries).

-- 
Cliff Wells
Software Engineer
Logiplex Corporation (www.logiplex.net)
(503) 978-6726 x308
(800) 735-0555 x308