Re: Octave - instrument control option

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

On 26 June 2012 05:33, Julien Salort <address@hidden> wrote:
> - I've written support for the various instruments that I use (eg.
> Keithley 2000, Agilent 34970A, ...). I don't know if these
> manufacturers allow third-parties to distribute "drivers" for those
> instruments.

If this were a problem, then free software couldn't exist at all.
Although Apple and its opponents in patent warfare like to make you
believe that free software is dangerous, particularly if it's GPL,
this is just FUD. If manufacturers could dictate who can distribute
code to talk to their hardware then Linux and the BSD kernels couldn't
exist in their current form.

> - Additionnally, I have only implemented a subset of their functions
> (depending on my personnal needs). Is this a problem ?

It's only a problem for people who have a different need than yours,
but they can add their own functionality based on your code. Then it's
their problem, not yours. ;-)

> - And finally, what if a bug in my code leads to some accident in
> some place ?

>From the GPL (and all free licenses have a similar clause):

  THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY
  APPLICABLE LAW.

Don't be so afraid of free software. In particular, don't be so afraid
of the free software you created yourself. :-)

- Jordi G. H.