Re: [libreplanet-discuss] List of free as in freedom programming language

[Blaise Alleyne]

On 03/02/16 03:04 PM, aurelien wrote:
> Alexander Berntsen <alexander@plaimi.net> writes:
> 
>> On 03/02/16 19:59, aurelien wrote:
>>> Is there a list of free as in freedom programming language?
>> Programming languages are not software, so you'll have to be a bit
>> more specific as to what freedoms you mean.
> 
> Sorry, I was thinking that programming language are under license like 
> software.
> 

I think you're actually correct: programming languages *are* software, and they
are licensed like software.

For example:

Python (Python Software Foundation License)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_(programming_language)

Java (GNU GPL... v3?)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language)

Java was noticeably released under the GPL only in 2006, highlighting the fact
that it wasn't licensed freely before then.


Or, see Microsoft's .NET (not that I am recommending it at all!):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework#Licensing

Microsoft just recently (last few years) changed the licensing on most (not
all?) components of .NET to use MIT, Apache licensing, etc., so that most of it
is free software. It wasn't before.


Go is BSD licensed + a patent grant?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(programming_language)


Those are just a few quick example to illustrate the point: I think you're
absolutely right that programming languages (a) are software, and (b) are either
licensed freely or not, like any other software.


> So we can learn any programming language without risk in time to see it
> becoming more (close, proprietary, restricted ...) than another one?
> 

No, I think you're initial assumption was correct. Only some programming
languages are free software. I don't know of a master list though.