17 Sep
2008
17 Sep
'08
4:07 p.m.
On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 07:02:34PM +0200, Arnold Krille wrote:
Note that I am not for gig and against sf2 (or vice
versa), I just see flaws
in your logic...
OK, I'll show you the flaws in your logic, then ;-)
Most problably there is no flaws in either logic. Your priorities and
mine are just different. That's all... though there is at least one
objective mistake in your email I want to politely show you.
You want to use sf2 for reasons of freedom? sf2 is not
free as in
defined-by-the-fsf. Probably the same as gig (and gig _has_ a free
implementation, just use an old linuxsampler with plain gpl)...
And why do you think fluidsynth not free? It is included in Debian
and other license-picky distibutions. It is a free implementation of
the sf2 format. Linuxsampler is a different issue. Some time ago
I talk with Brett Smith (he is in the FSF, for license questions)
about the LinuxSampler license, and decided to avoid linuxsampler,
unfortunately.
There is no old linuxsampler with plain GPL, I'm afraid that you are
misinformed in this point. Please, read this text, taken from the FAQ
in the official linuxsampler page:
I've heard the commercial exception of LinuxSampler was added at a
certain version?
No, the commercial exception in LinuxSampler's license terms were there
since day one. Even further it's not only there since the very first
publicly available CVS (developer) version of LinuxSampler, that
commercial exception was even already in Benno Senoner's proof of
concept code called "EVO", which LinuxSampler was based on. There was
even a rumour that we would have manipulated CVS history to "pretend"
this exception wasn't added at a later point. Needless to say that this
rumour is completely false as well. [...]
If you want a _really_ free format you _have_ to use
specimen or something
else which not only has free implementations (heck, even ms word has free
implementations) but also an open format.
I have many arguments against this paragraph, but I think they are off
topic... so instead I prefer to summarize as: just use ms word format
if you want to do so :-)
SF2 format is openly documented (OK, the official docummentation is far
from perfect, I know), but my main point is the implementation. I will
support the gig format with a free implementation (a free
implementation can also be seen as documentation).
Again, I am not saying that you should ditch sf2 and
use gig for whatever
reasons. I am just saying that your reasons of not doing so are no reasons in
my view.
But they are the reasons in *my* view, so if *you* want to create gig
files, just do it, I will not stop you!
I will be happy to switch to gig format as soon as one free
implementation appears.
And if your ideologic reasons are invalid, you might
as well use the format
that works best and has the features you need. :-)
Sorry, you failed to convince me, better luck next time ;-)