\input texinfo

@setfilename intro.info
@settitle Introduction

@ifinfo
@format
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* intro: (intro.info).         An Introduction to Cygnus Releases
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
@end format
@end ifinfo

@finalout
@setchapternewpage on

@c uncomment one of the following:

@set cdk
@c @set emacs
@c @set dejagnu
@clear debug

@ifset cdk
@set RELEASE Developer's Kit
@end ifset
@ifset emacs
@set RELEASE Emacs
@end ifset
@ifset dejagnu
@set RELEASE DejaGnu
@end ifset

@ifset debug
@set RELEASE DEBUGMODE
@set cdk
@set emacs
@set dejagnu
@end ifset

@titlepage
@title Introduction
@subtitle Cygnus Support @value{RELEASE}

@sp 5

@c altref is a Cygnus Support texiplus.tex hack -- comment out instances
@c of @altref for standard Texinfo

@altref

@format
@ref{Release,,Cygnus Support @value{RELEASE}}.
@ref{Manuals,,Manuals}.
@ref{Info,,Using Online Documentation}.
@ref{Support,,Your Support Contract}.
@ref{Bugs,,Reporting Trouble}.
@ref{Copying,,Free Software}.
@ref{AboutCygnus,,About Cygnus Support}.
@ref{Cygnus-FSF,,Cygnus Support and the FSF}.
@end format

@c toggle back references
@altref

@author Cygnus Support
@page

@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 Cygnus Support

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
permission notice identical to this one.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.

@end titlepage

@ifinfo
@node Top
@top Introduction

This manual introduces the Cygnus Support Progressive @value{RELEASE}
distribution.  For details, see the nodes below.

@menu
* Release::         Cygnus Support @value{RELEASE}
* Manuals::         Manuals
* Copying::         Free Software
* AboutCygnus::     About Cygnus Support
* Cygnus-FSF::      Cygnus Support and the FSF
* Support::         Your Support Contract
* Info::            Using Online Documentation
* Bugs::            Reporting Trouble
@end menu
@end ifinfo

@node Release
@unnumbered Cygnus Support @value{RELEASE}

This @value{RELEASE} release puts at your disposal, in a single
coordinated and tested release, some of the best software development
tools available.
@ifset cdk
These tools are available for @dfn{native development} (where the same
kind of system can run both the tools and the code you develop with
them) and for @dfn{cross-development} (where one system, the @dfn{host},
runs the tools to develop software for another system, the
@dfn{target}).
@end ifset

Cygnus Support has ported @sc{gnu} tools to over sixty different
platforms.  As part of our service, we integrate all our tools to ensure
that they all work together.  Our developers use a regression testing
method that checks not only for problems with a single tool, but across
all the tools.  We check for problems that a change in one program may
cause in another.  We don't ship your @value{RELEASE} release until we
know it works.

@ifset cdk
The @value{RELEASE} contains these development tools and utilities:@*
@emph{(Not all tools are available for all platforms and operating
systems.  @xref{Introduction,,Overview,relnotes,Release Notes}, for
specific information on your system.)}

@subheading Compilers and Development Tools
@table @code
@item gcc
C compiler

@item g++
C++ compiler

@item gdb
Debugger

@item as
Assembler

@item gasp
Assembler Preprocessor

@item ld
Linker
@end table

@c ---
@subheading Libraries
@table @code
@item libg++
C++ class library

@item libio
C++ @code{iostreams} library

@item libc
@sc{ansi} C runtime library (@emph{only available for cross-development
toolkits})

@item libm
C mathematical subroutine library (@emph{only available for
cross-development toolkits})
@end table

@c ---
@subheading General Utilities
@table @code
@item byacc
Parser generator

@item flex
Fast lexical analyzer generator

@item make
Compilation control program

@item diff
@itemx diff3
@itemx sdiff
Compare text files

@item patch
Installs source fixes

@item cmp
Compares files byte-by-byte

@item send-pr
Sends structured problem reports to Cygnus

@item install-sid
Customizes @code{send-pr} for your site

@item gprof
Performance analyzer (@emph{only available for Sun 4 systems running
SunOS 4 or Solaris 2})

@item gcov
Coverage analyzer
@end table

@c ---
@subheading Binary Utilities
@table @code
@item c++filt
C++ symbol name deciphering utility

@item nm
Lists object file symbol tables

@item objdump
Displays object file information

@item size
Lists section and total sizes

@item ar
Manages object code archives

@item ranlib
Generates archive index

@item strip
Discards symbols

@item objcopy
Copies and translates object files
@end table

@c ---
@subheading Text Utilities
@table @asis
@item Texinfo (requires @TeX{})
@itemx @code{texindex}
@itemx @code{texi2dvi}
Documentation formatting tools

@item @code{makeinfo}
@itemx @code{info}
Online documentation tools
@end table
@end ifset
@c end cdk

@ifset emacs
Your @value{RELEASE} distribution contains these tools and utilities:

@subheading Emacs 19
Includes @sc{lisp} extensions for @code{mh}, @code{gnus},
@w{@code{ange-ftp}}, and text-editing modes for C, Texinfo, and
@code{nroff}, as well as many other packages and modes.

@subheading General Utilities
@table @code
@item ispell
Multi-language spelling checker.

@item diff
@itemx diff3
@itemx sdiff
Compare text files

@item patch
Installs source fixes

@item cmp
Compares files byte-by-byte

@item send-pr
Sends structured problem reports to Cygnus

@item install-sid
Customizes @code{send-pr} for your site
@end table

@subheading Text Utilities
@table @asis
@item Texinfo (requires @TeX{})
@itemx @code{texindex}
@itemx @code{texi2dvi}
Documentation formatting tools

@item @code{makeinfo}
@itemx @code{info}
Online documentation tools
@end table
@end ifset
@c end emacs

@ifset dejagnu
Your @value{RELEASE} distribution contains these tools and utilities:

@subheading Testing Tools and Framework
@table @asis
@item DejaGnu
Testing tools and framework for DejaGnu, based on Tcl and @code{expect}

@item Tcl
Tool Command Language, by John Ousterhout

@item @code{expect}
Interactive scripting language by Don Libes
@end table

@subheading General Utilities
@table @code
@item diff
@itemx diff3
@itemx sdiff
Compare text files

@item patch
Installs source fixes

@item cmp
Compares files byte-by-byte

@item send-pr
Sends structured problem reports to Cygnus

@item install-sid
Customizes @code{send-pr} for your site
@end table

@subheading Text Utilities
@table @asis
@item Texinfo (requires @TeX{})
@itemx @code{texindex}
@itemx @code{texi2dvi}
Documentation formatting tools

@item @code{makeinfo}
@itemx @code{info}
Online documentation tools
@end table
@end ifset
@c end dejagnu

@node Manuals
@unnumbered Manuals

These manuals may be included in a hardcopy format in this Cygnus
Support Progressive Release, depending on the nature of your support
contract.  @emph{Note:} hardcopy versions of the documentation are
available as a separate product from Cygnus Support if your contract
does not include printed manuals.  All documentation is included online
with every release; see @ref{Info,,Using Online Documentation}.

@ifset cdk
For convenience we have bound them in eight wire-bound volumes.

@table @emph
@item Cygnus Developer's Kit
@itemize @bullet
@item Introduction
@item Release Notes
@item Install Notes
@item @sc{gnu} General Public License
@end itemize

@item Embedded Systems
@itemize @bullet
@item Embedded Systems Programming
@end itemize

@item Using GNU CC
@itemize @bullet
@item Using @sc{gnu} CC
@end itemize

@item Debugging With GDB
@itemize @bullet
@item Debugging With @sc{gdb}
@end itemize

@item Support Libraries
@itemize @bullet
@item The @sc{gnu} C++ Iostream Library
@item The Cygnus C Support Library
@item The Cygnus C Math Library
@end itemize

@item Binary Utilities
@itemize @bullet
@item The @sc{gnu} C Preprocessor
@item Using @sc{as}, the @sc{gnu} Assembler
@item @sc{gasp}, the @sc{gnu} Assembler Preprocessor
@item Using @sc{ld}, the @sc{gnu} Linker
@item The @sc{gnu} Binary Utilities
@end itemize

@item GNU Make
@itemize @bullet
@item @sc{gnu} Make
@end itemize

@item Developer's Kit Support
@itemize @bullet
@item Reporting Problems Using @code{send-pr}
@item Online Documentation
@item Rebuilding From Source
@item Comparing and Merging Files (@code{diff} and @code{patch})
@end itemize

@end table
@end ifset

@ignore
@tex
\vskip \baselineskip \halign{\it #\hfil&\quad\it #\hfil\cr \bf Volume I
& \bf Volume II \strut\cr \noalign{\hrule} \cr 
Introduction               & The GNU C++ Iostream Library \cr
Installation Notes         & The Cygnus C Support Library \cr
Release Notes              & The Cygnus C Math Library \cr
Rebuilding From Source     & Using as \cr
Reporting Problems         & The C Preprocessor \cr
GNU Online Documentation   & Using ld \cr
Using GNU CC               & The GNU Binary Utilities \cr
Debugging with GDB         & Comparing and Merging Files: diff, \cr
GNU General Public License & \ \ \ \ diff3, sdiff, cmp, and patch \cr
                           & GNU Make: A Program for Directing \cr
                           & \ \ \ \ Recompilation\cr \cr }
@end tex
@end ignore

@c end cdk

@ifset emacs
@table @cite
@item Introduction
@itemx Release Notes   
@itemx Installation Notes
@itemx Online Manuals
@itemx Reporting Problems
@itemx Diff/Patch
@itemx Ispell
@itemx GNU Emacs Manual
@itemx License
@end table
@end ifset
@c end emacs

@ifset dejagnu
@table @cite
@item Introduction
@itemx Installation Notes
@itemx Online Manuals
@itemx Reporting Problems
@itemx Diff/Patch
@itemx The DejaGnu Testing Framwork
@itemx License
@end table
@end ifset
@c end dejagnu

@noindent
Source for all documentation is also included.

The manuals are designed for easy online browsing (@pxref{Info,, Online
Documentation}).  For online use, the accompanying software distribution
includes all the printed manuals, and also the following documents:

@table @cite
@ifset cdk
@item FLEX: A Fast Lexical Analyzer Generator
Generates lexical analyzers suitable for @sc{gnu} @sc{gcc} and other
compilers.

@item Using and Porting GNU CC
Detailed information about what's needed to put @code{gcc} on different
platforms, or to modify @code{gcc}.  Also includes all the information
from the printed manual @cite{Using GNU CC}.

@item BYacc
A discussion of the Berkeley Yacc parser generator.

@item User's Guide to the GNU C++ Library
Details about the general-purpose @sc{gnu} C++ library, covered under
the @sc{gnu} Library General Public License.
@end ifset

@item Texinfo: The GNU Documentation Format
How you can use @TeX{} to print these manuals, and how to write your own
manuals in this style.

@item Cygnus configure
Details on the configuration program used in Cygnus releases.

@item GNU Coding Standards
A complete discussion of the coding standards used by the @sc{gnu} project.
@end table

@ifset cdk
@noindent
On the Sun-3 and Sun-4 (SunOS 4.1 or Solaris 2) platforms, the following
manual is also provided online:

@table @cite
@item GNU gprof
Details on the @sc{gnu} performance analyzer.
@end table
@end ifset

@noindent
Finally, @code{man} pages are included for all the programs in the
release.

You have the freedom to copy the manuals, like the software they cover;
each manual's copyright statement includes the necessary permissions.
The manuals themselves are also free software, and the source code for
them is also available on the tape.

@subheading Conventions

Our manuals use these conventions to help you distinguish commands,
filenames, and other program-specific objects from the descriptive text.
 
@table @asis
@item @code{Typewriter-text}
Indicates text that is a literal example of a piece of a program, such
as environmental variable names like @code{EDITOR}. It will also
indicate keyboard characters you should type, or other literal bits of
text from a program, such as filenames or examples.

@item @key{key-name}
Indicates the conventional name for a special key on a keyboard, such as
@key{RET} or @key{DEL}.

@item @var{generic-name}
Stands for another piece of text. For example, in the command
description ``To delete the file named @var{filename}, type @code{rm
@var{filename}}.''  @var{filename} stands for the file you want to
delete, no matter what you've named it.
@end table 
 
@node Info
@unnumbered Using Online Documentation

You can browse through the online documentation using either @sc{gnu}
Emacs or the documentation browser program @code{info} included in the
@value{RELEASE} distribution.  Online, the manuals are organized into
@dfn{nodes}, which correspond to the chapters and sections of a printed
book.  You can follow them in sequence, if you wish, just like in the
printed book---but there are also other choices.  The documents have
menus that let you go quickly to the node that has the information you
need.  @code{info} has ``@dfn{hot}'' references; if one section refers
to another, you can tell @code{info} to take you immediately to that
other section---and you can get back again easily to take up your
reading where you left off.  Naturally, you can also search for
particular words or phrases.

The best way to get started with the online documentation system is to
run the browser @code{info}.  After this @value{RELEASE} release is
installed on your system, you can get into @code{info} by just typing
its name---no options or arguments are necessary---at your shell's
prompt (shown as @samp{eg%} here):

@example
eg% info
@end example
 
(You may need to check that @code{info} is in your shell path after you
install the @value{RELEASE} release. If you have problems running
@code{info}, please contact your systems administrator.)

To learn how to use @code{info}, type the command @samp{h} for a
programmed instruction sequence, or @kbd{@key{CTL}-h} for a short
summary of commands.  If at any time you are ready to stop using
@code{info}, type @samp{q}.

@xref{Top,,The Info Program, info, GNU Online Documentation}, for
detailed discussion of the @code{info} program.

@ifset cdk
@subheading Cygnus Support Online Library

All of the manuals in our printed documentation set
(@pxref{Manuals,,Manuals}) are also available via the Cygnus Support
Information Gallery, our World-Wide Web server, available at

@smallexample
http://www.cygnus.com/
@end smallexample

Contact Cygnus Support for information on connecting via the World-Wide
Web.

As with all @sc{gnu} software, the @sc{html} source for our documents is
available (or you can convert them yourself using publicly available
utilities) if you wish to put them into an internal Web server for use
at your facility.  Contact Cygnus Support for details, and please report
any problems to the Cygnus documentation department at
@code{doc@@cygnus.com}.

@table @emph
@item Free Software Report
The Free Software Report is a Cygnus publication dedicated to the
business of supporting free software.

@table @asis
@item Volume 1, Number 1: @emph{``Free Software? Yes, Free Software''} 
@item Volume 2, Number 1: @emph{``Free Software And The Law''}
@item Volume 2, Number 2: @emph{``Free Software Business Models''}
@item Volume 2, Number 3: @emph{``Free Software: An Agent For Open Systems''}
@item Volume 3, Number 1: @emph{``Testing, Testing, 1-2-3''}
@end table

@item Inside Cygnus Engineering
@emph{Inside Cygnus Engineering} is a newsletter describing recent and
upcoming activities in the Cygnus Support engineering division. We now
have a complete archive of previous issues of @emph{Inside Cygnus
Engineering}.

@item Technical Reports
Cygnus Support technical reports, written by Cygnus engineers.

@table @emph
@item Security Issues in Embedded Networking
@item Simple Garbage Collection in G++
@item The GNU Instruction Scheduler
@item Runtime Type Support in C and C++
@end table
@end table
@end ifset
@c end cdk

@node Support
@unnumbered Your Support Contract

@sc{gnu} development tools provide a powerful, integrated applications
development environment. Cygnus Support is one of the primary develpment
centers for @sc{gnu} tools; your support contract links you directly
with the developers.  With this release, Cygnus Support has provided the
latest fully-tested release of the @sc{gnu} tools, preconfigured for
your supported system.

@subheading Updates to your progressive release
 
@ifset cdk
Every quarter
@end ifset
@ifclear cdk
Periodically
@end ifclear
during the period of your support contract, Cygnus Support
provides an updated toolchain, complete with the latest enhancements and
improvements.  The updates also include bug fixes and updated
documentation. Most customers receive these updates automatically; if
you wish to get automatic updating, please call our support hotline at
@w{+1 415 903 1401}.

You also receive a monthly newsletter, @cite{Inside Cygnus Engineering,}
which keeps you informed about release dates, improvements, new
supported platforms, and new products.  We often request information
about your needs via surveys in this newsletter.
 
@subheading Contacting Cygnus Support
 
You can reach Cygnus Support by email, phone, or fax.  To submit problem
reports, 
 
@ifinfo
@smallexample
Cygnus Support
toll free: +1 800 CYGNUS-1
main line: +1 415 903 1400
hotline:   +1 415 903 1401
email:   support@@cygnus.com

HEADQUARTERS                                    EAST COAST
1937 Landings Drive                 48 Grove St., Ste. 105
Mountain View, CA 94043 USA       Somerville, MA 02144 USA
+1 415 903 1400                            +1 617 629 3000
+1 415 903 0122 fax                    fax +1 617 629 3010
@end smallexample
@end ifinfo

@sp 1

@tex
\halign{\rm #\hfill&\rm\qquad\qquad\hfill #\cr
\bf Cygnus Support\cr
toll free: $+$1 800 CYGNUS-1\cr
main line: $+$1 415 903 1400\cr
hotline: $+$1 415 903 1401\cr
email: @code{support@@cygnus.com}\cr
\cr
\it Headquarters              &\it East Coast\cr
1937 Landings Drive           &        48 Grove St., Ste. 105\cr
Mountain View, CA 94043 USA   &        Somerville, MA 02144 USA\cr
\cr
$+$1 415 903 1400               &            $+$1 617 629 3000\cr
$+$1 415 903 0122 fax           &        fax $+$1 617 629 3010\cr}
@end tex
 
Faxes are answered 8 am--5pm, Monday through Friday.
 
@subheading Future Needs
 
The availability of source code enables anyone to enhance the @sc{gnu}
tools.  While Cygnus is doing the greatest amount of ongoing
development, many other users around the world are also contributing
enhancements and improvments.  Cygnus integration and regression testing
ensures that enhancements made elsewhere can work with Cygnus'
developments.  As your needs evolve, so do the capabilities of the
@sc{gnu} tools and the support services available from Cygnus Support.

@node Bugs
@unnumbered Reporting Trouble

We've tried to make the programs in this release of the Cygnus Support
@value{RELEASE} as trouble-free as possible.  If you do encounter
problems, however, we'd like to diagnose and fix the problem as quickly
as possible.  You can help us do that by using the script @code{send-pr}
to send us your problem reports (@sc{pr}s). @code{send-pr} comes with
this release, and is easily configured to send reports back to Cygnus.

@code{send-pr} invokes an editor on a problem report form (after trying
to fill in some fields with reasonable default values).  After you exit
the editor, @code{send-pr} sends the filled out form to the Problem
Report Management System (@sc{prms}) at Cygnus Support.  You can use the
environment variable @code{EDITOR} to specify which editor to use (the
default is @code{vi}). Emacs users will find @sc{prms} especially easy
to use.

For more information on @code{send-pr}, see @ref{Top, , Overview,
send-pr, Reporting Problems}.

@subheading Filling out a problem report

Problem reports are structured so that a database program can manage
them. When you fill out the form, please remember the following
guidelines:

@itemize @bullet
@item
Each @sc{pr} needs a valid @dfn{customer-id} and @dfn{category}.

@item
Describe only one problem per @sc{pr}.

@item
For follow-up mail, use the same subject line as the one in the
automatic acknowledgment. It shows the category, the @sc{pr} number and
the original synopsis line.  This causes your mail to automatically be
filed with the original bug report. Your followup comments will be sent
to all the people who are working on the bug.

@item 
Please try to make the subject or synopsis line as informative as
possible.  For misbehaving software, you might use a sentence of the
form @samp{Encrypted rlogin hangs if you send interrupt} or @samp{g++:
calling wrong overloaded function.}

@item
You don't need to delete the comment lines while editing the @sc{pr}
form; this is done by @code{send-pr}.  Put your information before or
after the comments.
@end itemize

Consult the @ref{Helpful Hints,,Examples and guidelines for effective
PRs,send-pr,Reporting Problems}, for more discussion on this topic.

@node Copying
@unnumbered Free Software

If you find our @value{RELEASE} distribution useful, please feel free to
give or sell copies of the software and documentation to anyone you
like.

In this release, we've assembled the most current editions of these
software development tools, tested them, made sure they work well
together, and made them easy to install. The installation tape comes
with binaries already compiled for your system, and we've made them easy
to reconfigure and recompile from source.

These tools are free software; they are part of the @sc{gnu} project,
produced by the Free Software Foundation (@sc{fsf}).  ``@sc{gnu}'' is
the name of the @sc{fsf}'s evolving operating system (in speech, the
`@sc{g}' is sounded).  Cygnus Support collaborates with the @sc{fsf} in
developing these tools. (For more information on the relationship
between Cygnus Support and the @sc{fsf}, please see
@ref{Cygnus-FSF,,Cygnus Support and the FSF}.)

Cygnus Support exists to help our clients exploit their freedom in
using, adapting, or enhancing this software.  Cygnus products are
@dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu} General Public License
(@dfn{@sc{gpl}}).  The @sc{gpl} gives you the freedom to copy or adapt
any program it licenses---but every person getting a copy also gets with
it the freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must have
access to the source code), and the freedom to distribute further
copies.  Traditional software companies use copyrights to limit your
freedoms; the @sc{gpl} is designed to preserve your freedoms.

Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which grants you
these freedoms, and only imposes restrictions to ensure that no one can
take these freedoms away from anyone else.

For full details, see the @strong{LICENSE} section in this manual set,
or the file @file{COPYING} in the top level of the source code
distribution.

@node AboutCygnus
@unnumbered About Cygnus Support

Cygnus Support, founded in 1989, provides commercial support for free
software.  @emph{Why free software?} Free software is fast, powerful,
and more portable than its proprietary counterparts.  It evolves faster
because users who want to make improvements are free to do so.

Cygnus Support has become the leading development organization of the
@sc{gnu} tools, contributing more than 50% of ongoing development. In
addition to in-house development, Cygnus leverages the increasing
cumulative pool of functionality available as public domain software on
the Internet, creating a virtual community of developers. Building upon
and contributing to this effort, Cygnus raises the level of
functionality available to the entire industry.

The problem with free software has always been that your company's
programmers and engineers must spend time maintaining the tools as
well as using them, which ties up company resources. Cygnus frees up
those resources by supplying products and services, which allows you to
use state-of-the-art tools without the problems of maintenance. You can
now choose to use free software and get the advantages of powerful and
prompt support, combining the best of both.

Our team of experienced engineers include the leading architects for
@sc{g++, gdb, gas,} and @sc{bfd.} We use one of the most comprehensive
bug-reporting and tracking software in the business, @sc{prms}.

Because all our improvements are also free software, you can distribute
them widely within your organization, or to your customers, without
extra cost. No unwieldy licenses to manage, and no worries about buying
extra copies.

Cygnus makes sure that our customers' problems get solved the right way.
No grungy little programs, no klugey fixes that don't generalize, no
work-arounds that end up being features instead of temporary situations.

@ifinfo
@smallexample
Cygnus Support
toll free: +1 800 CYGNUS-1
main line: +1 415 903 1400
hotline:   +1 415 903 1401
email:   support@@cygnus.com

HEADQUARTERS                                    EAST COAST
1937 Landings Drive                 48 Grove St., Ste. 105
Mountain View, CA 94043 USA       Somerville, MA 02144 USA
+1 415 903 1400                            +1 617 629 3000
+1 415 903 0122 fax                    fax +1 617 629 3010
@end smallexample
@end ifinfo

@tex
\halign{\rm #\hfill&\rm\qquad\qquad\hfill #\cr
\bf Cygnus Support\cr
toll free: $+$1 800 CYGNUS-1\cr
main line: $+$1 415 903 1400\cr
hotline: $+$1 415 903 1401\cr
email: @code{support@@cygnus.com}\cr
\cr
\it Headquarters              &\it East Coast\cr
1937 Landings Drive           &        48 Grove St., Ste. 105\cr
Mountain View, CA 94043 USA   &        Somerville, MA 02144 USA\cr
\cr
$+$1 415 903 1400               &            $+$1 617 629 3000\cr
$+$1 415 903 0122 fax           &        fax $+$1 617 629 3010\cr}
@end tex

@node Cygnus-FSF
@unnumbered Cygnus Support and the FSF

Cygnus Support and the Free Software Foundation cooperate on major
projects, such as the port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to Solaris
2.  We look forward to continuing such cooperation in the future.

Cygnus maintains many programs and libraries @emph{for} the @sc{fsf}:
@sc{g++}, @sc{gdb}, @sc{gas}, the linker, @sc{gprof}, the binary
utilities, @sc{libg++}, and the Binary File Descriptor libraries.  In
addition, Cygnus and the @sc{fsf} share sources for other programs on a
regular basis.

Both Cygnus and the @sc{fsf} agree that free software is the best way to
meet the industry's technical needs.  However, Cygnus and the @sc{fsf}
have different missions.  Cygnus, as a for-profit company, concentrates
on meeting its customers' needs.  The @sc{fsf} concentrates on meeting
the internal needs of the @sc{gnu} project.

Therefore, Cygnus may not accept into our source tree certain @sc{fsf}
changes until they are reworked into a form acceptable for our
customers' needs---for example, changes that reduce performance or
reliability on the software platforms we support.  Conversely, the
@sc{fsf} may not accept changes from Cygnus that improve support for
only a limited group of users (Cygnus customers).

Also, Cygnus sometimes supports non-@sc{fsf} code.  Our C subroutine
library is an example.  The @sc{fsf}'s version carries licensing
restrictions which are impractical for customers who write code for
embedded systems; as a result, we developed our own subroutine library,
@sc{libc}.  The Cygnus C subroutine library, although also freely
redistributable, does not carry the licensing restrictions that would
inconvenience these customers.

Finally, although the @sc{fsf} makes every effort to provide
high-quality releases, its development requirements take priority.  The
@sc{fsf} regards software testing as the user community's contribution
to the @sc{gnu} project.  Cygnus releases go through a quality assurance
cycle which is in large part driven by our knowledge of customer
requirements.

@bye
