Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by sitkack 2152 days ago
At least they all use the same file formats and you can switch from proprietary to OSS with a different makefile.

OSS isn't automatically better, but it changes the strategy and tactics that are used. GNU/GCC enabled and unleashed a movement.
2 comments
vonmoltke 2152 days ago
> At least they all use the same file formats and you can switch from proprietary to OSS with a different makefile.

Assuming you don't rely on compiler-specific features.

link
pjmlp 2152 days ago
What file formats? Text?

That is meaningless if they don't support the same language features, which is why other than Google's inhouse Android Linux fork, the Linux kernel is hardly compilable with anything else other than GCC C dialect.

GNU/GCC might have enabled and unleashed a movement, but thanks to the mass adoption of non-copyleft licenses, its time has come to pass, and in a couple of generations we will be back to shareware and public domain software packages.

link