Hello all!
Recently I've discovered Frank (IIRC) telling us that the MD5 unit is,
in contrast to all other units (I just double-checked), not licenced
under the GNU LGPL, or GPL with library exception clause, but rather
plain GPL because it contains code from Ulrich Drepper's glibc imple-
mentation of the MD5 algorithm.
I took the time and prepared a new, BSD-licenced, implementation of
the code, while preserving the old framework (ie, interface), and
having as few diffs against existing code as possible.
On the other hand, since a few of the old functions continue to
exist, would please the original author of the md5.pas file stand
up and give permission to have the "new" md5.pas, which comes
without other GPL-licenced code, under the licence shown in the
attached file?
If that's cleared up, I would like to have the md5.pas in the
stock distribution replaced, and the md5c.c added.
As for md5c.c - it depends on <sys/types.h> to exist (I think
that's OK per ANSI/ISO C), and checks for a definition LITTLE_ENDIAN
(if it's not defined, big endian is assumed) - that might be a
portability problem to be solved. Since you are far better in gcc
and non-BSD environments than myself, I'll leave that to you.
But please let's clear up the licence issues first.
We need permission from the FSF (who got assigned copyright for
the old md5.pas file) or the person who originally wrote all the
other routines (starting at MD5Clear, continuing over MD5Compare,
MD5Str etc.).
By acknowledging this, GPC's runtime environment is fully suitable
for being used to compile, link and redistribute any application,
not just Free Software.
Thanks in advance, and in the hope to be helpful
//Thorsten
--
Solange man keine schmutzigen Tricks macht, und ich meine *wirklich*
schmutzige Tricks, wie bei einer doppelt verketteten Liste beide
Pointer XORen und in nur einem Word speichern, funktioniert Boehm ganz
hervorragend. -- Andreas Bogk über boehm-gc in d.a.s.r