[GRASSLIST:3305] GRASS 5.0 history

[Radim Blazek]

I have spent some time inspecting the possibility to change the license 
of vector libraries in GRASS 5.7 from GPL to LGPL. However, now with the results 
I have, it seems to be too difficult.

I have some results but also new questions. 
I decided to send this mail about GRASS 5.0 history, because it is desirable 
to find (and archive) as much information as we can, both for 5.0 and 5.7,
regardless any license issues.

I wanted to trace all contributions and their authors in the period between 
the last version released by CERL and initial import to CVS.
Here is the page with some results:
http://mpa.itc.it/radim/g50history/

And now, I would like to ask you few questions, hopefuly somebody
knows answers.

1) What was the code used as the base for GRASS 5.0?
   Was it the code transfered from CERL to Baylor,
   called in CERL grass4.2alpha (not that 4.2 in CERL has nothing 
   to do with later publicly released GRASS 4.2)? 
   Is this transfer covered by a contract? 
   Is this contract publicly available?
   Does the last version of GRASS from CERL exist?
   Is that version publicly available?

2) I was able to find only the code for versions: 
   4.0, 4.1.5, 4.2, 4.2.1, 4.3, FP patch 1995, 
   5.0 beta, 5.0 beta4, 5.0 beta5, 5.0 beta6, 5.0 beta8.
   Does anybody have other versions of GRASS 5.0?
   Especially 5.0 beta2 and 5.0 beta3.

3) Do you have any pathes sent to GRASS 5.0 maintainers 
   before CVS was started? 

4) It seems that the code of 5.0 beta was somehow lost during the crash
   of the server and the development continued using a pre 5.0 beta code.
   I know that it sounds strange, especially when 5.0 beta is available
   even now, but I found:

   30 June 1999 - "I feel several (known) bugfixes missing in your beta have gone 
       lost in your server crash some month ago... I hope I fixed them all."
   2 July 1999 - grass5.0beta2c 
       The change log (changes until Jun 30 15:28:09 MEST 1999) contains:
       - src/libes/gis/strip.c
       23c23
       <     if (a != buf)
       ---
       >     if ((a != buf) && *a)
       was obviously lost in your server crash (Solaris fix)
   
   The fix in strip.c is different in 5.0 beta and 5.0 beta4, obviously
   5.0 beta4 is not based on 5.0 beta.
   Does anybody know more details about it?

Thanks
Radim