[PD] PD "Projector", Executables or similar

[derek holzer]

Hi all,

Frank Barknecht wrote:

> (Sorry if I sound a bit upset but: I'm sharing and opening up all my
> patches and I somehow would feel quite betrayed if compiled Pd patches
> would allow others to not share theirs when distributing them.)

I really have to strongly second this opinion!!!!!

The only reason Max/MSP allows executables to be compiled is to allow 
people to run patches on multiple machines, thus getting around some of 
the trickiness of their licensing agreement. Now, with the Auvi video 
objects for Max/MSP, you have the added complications of the software 
writers telling you exactly which kinds of executables you can and 
cannot make with their objects, under penalty of a revoked license. This 
is their perogative as makers of closed-source, commercial software, but 
I would never personally accept such a restriction. Nor would I like to 
see this mentality carried over into PD.

In short, compiled executables go hand-in-hand with restrictive 
licenses. Period. Since PD is freely available, there is no reason for 
binary excecutables to be released without the source code [this in 
itself is a violation of GPL], and also no reason to release a patch 
without its "source code" [the text file which describes it] available 
as well.

As others have already noted, it is quite simple to make a "live CD" of 
PD with the patches you would like users to run. And in this case, you 
not only give somebody one patch, but access to a whole new tool. I 
guess they used to call that "added value" ;-)

Happy new year,
D.

-- 
derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl
---Oblique Strategy # 52:
"Do nothing for as long as possible"