From: Steve Adams Date: 2003-04-12T02:09:25+09:00 Subject: Re: Two questions Parts of the license are a bit vague about if commercial apps can be generated with the tools. This relates to the parts that weren't written by Matz. My concern is, are there restriction on the distribution of the standard Ruby package (probably using EXERB) within commercial products. Hadn't planned on any changes to Ruby itself. Protection of the source code for the product being developed is a fairly standard thing for non-open source products. "Daniel Carrera" wrote in message news:20030411164542.GA1699@math.umd.edu... > On Sat, Apr 12, 2003 at 12:28:55AM +0900, Steve Adams wrote: > > What restrictions does the Ruby license place on the construction and sale > > of commercial products? > > None really. It is an error to think that open source licenses prohibit > commercial products. > > Be it as it may, I suppose that you are referring to the ability to > conceal the source code. Ruby comes with a dual license. One is the GPL > and the other is an MIT-style license which (as I understand it) allows > you to distribute a modified version of Ruby and keep the changes secret. > > I can't imagine why you'd want to do that. So I suppose that what you > *really* want is to write programs in Ruby and keep the source secret. In > that case, you are (as far as I know) asking the wrong question. Ruby's > license applies only to Ruby's source itself. It says absolutely nothing > about the Ruby programs you write. There are no restrictions on that > front whatsoever. > > > Is there a way to "compile" the developed Ruby code in a product so that the > > source code isn't accessible to the end user? > > If I may ask, why would you want to keep the user from the source? I'm > curious. > > The only way that (I am currently aware) of doing this is to use the > Exerb package (it's in RAA, I don't have the exact page). Exerb will turn > your Ruby code into a Windows executable. Exerb is going to make a very > large executable. > > I think that eventually Ruby will support the Parrot virtual machine. So > there might be a "compiler" then. > > I hope this helps, > -- > Daniel Carrera > Graduate Teaching Assistant. Math Dept. > University of Maryland. (301) 405-5137 > >