[GAP] [master] what happens with students?]

[Robert Dewar]

 > Fabrice Kordon wrote:
 >
 >>
 >>     Hello,
 >>
 >> I am on the way to use GAP next year for my bachelor and master's students. However, a colleague had an interesting question during our last software meeting: wan we distribute GAP to our students 
to be used on their own computer for work? and if yes, at what conditions (it should not be anonymous ftp or equivalent I guess;-)?
 >>
 >> Best regards.


and Robert answered

 >
 >
 > Well certainly they can take the GAP version with them, but a more
 > useful answer is that soon there will be a special GPL version of
 > GNAT Pro available at the AdaCore libre site that is essentially
 > equivalent to the GAP version without support. The advantage of
 > encouraging students to move to this site and version is that then
 > they can keep updated with the latest version.


I realize that my answer was based on an inaccurate reading of the
question. I thought the question was about students using Ada outside
the context of course work, e.g. after they left the course, in which
case the GPL version gives them continued access.

But in the context of course work, or work in general at a
university, it is assumed that the GAP version will be made
available conveniently to all students. For exmple at NYU,
we would have a download link off the course home page.

These course home pages are completely public, and that means
anyone anywhere can download the GAP version, but that's quite
OK both

a) legally (this is a GPL'ed program allowing free distribution)

b) operationally (it is just fine for more people to have access).

Given the choice, it is a bit cleaner to have people outside the
context of a course be able to go to the libre site and get the
GPL version, but the GPL version and GAP version are essentially
identical, so no need to worry about making the GPL version
accessible.

If you want to point members of the general public to a downloadable
version, e.g. on some mailing list, then it is better to point to the
libre site with the GPL version, than some internal university web
site with the GAP version, but it's not a critical distinction at
all.

Sorry for my confusion on first asking this message. Sometimes GPL'ed
programs are distributed with the expectation (though not the legal
requirement) that they will not be redistributed. But in this case,
we distribute the GAP and GPL versions with the hope that they will
be very widely redistributed, any opportunity you have to encourage
people to grab the GPL version for their own use you should take :-)

Robert Dewar