[GRASS-dev] GRASS inefficiency and FFTW

[Glynn Clements]

Hamish wrote:

> > Given this problem I started to wonder whether this example fit with
> > the issue that Free Software is primarly about so called "freedom" and
> > not about efficency. As many many Open Source advocates usually say.
> > 
> > Which means that an inefficient solution has been introduced in GRASS
> > in order to maintain the integrity of the GPL license.
> 
> Efficiency is a relative term.
> 
> Current fft translation code gets the job done faster than the
> alternative NR version, as the NR solution can't be used at all.
> 
> We could optimize the software to be very efficient in some aspects
> (fft), but we would have to compromise in others (legality).

Not at all; we could easily have both if someone were willing to
modify the (relatively few) modules which use the fft() function to
use an interface which isn't tied to the old NR implementation.

[Or just use FFTW directly; the current fft() function is little more
than a wrapper which preserves the old interface.]

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>