Motif 1.2.x & X11R5

[mike camann]

> Motif isn't a commercial product in the same way that a database
system or
> a word processor is.  It is more like Unix - there is licensed code,
a
> trademark, and some special libraries for programming, but all these
come
> "free" when you buy the workstation.  All the workstation vendors
except
> Sun have included Motif for some time; Sun has committed to it as
well.
> If you can't wait, you can get a Motif license for making your own
code
> for $49.  Software compiled with motif can be distributed without
> restriction.

> I agree, GRASS cannot become dependent on commercial products, but I
don't
> think that this is an issue for Motif.

I disagree with Kenn Gardels in the sense that Motif is not *public*.
It isn't free, but at $49 it isn't expensive either.  The real problem
is that it is not public domain software ftp'able from your nearest
archive.  Sortware doesn't have to make a lot of money to be
*commercial*; its distribution just has to be restricted to those who
have paid for it.  Since our site includes a number of workhorse Sun3
machines that will never acquire Motif "free", and since we do not
presently wish to buy a new operating system for our other machines, we
cannot compile xgrass.  That in itself is not too tragic, but it would
be a shame to see any other GRASS functionality go the same way.

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Michael Camann                          camann at dial.pick.uga.edu
Department of Entomology                camann at phoenix.cs.uga.edu
University of Georgia                   (706) 542-1388
Athens, GA 30602                        (706) 542-2276

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