gnu@toad.com (04/12/89)
FSF has accepted changes from me that were made on Apple machines. But I carefully separate out the "real portability problems fixed" from "things you have to do to get *&$%#&@ A/UX to compile it", and only send in the real problem fixes. Much GNU software comes with the notion that there is a "System V" that you can conditionally compile for. I have had to break the news to it that "System V" is a marketing campaign, not an implementation, and that you have to conditionally compile on a feature-by-feature basis. GCC, GDB, and Make have been through this with me so far. The only Sys V box I have is an Apple (which I don't recommend; it was a mistake to write software for it, since there is essentially no market for Unix software on A/UX.) Richard and other GNU-ers know this, and still they *do* accept contributions from me that contribute to portability. Just not Apple-specific changes. If you want to benefit from all the GNU work, and you have given money to Apple, you have an uphill battle to make it run, and that's as it should be. John Gilmore