Re: Preserving Apple Dylan

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I think it would be good to work up a letter to Tim Cook asking primarily
for permission to publish the sources should they be found by any means,
and only secondarily (if at all) for him to try to find them.

I think he'd be open to arguments about preservation of history etc. He's
certainly seemed so about things such as the MacPaint source code.

Once the text of the letter is agreed, we could try to get a large number
of names/signatures/emails from as many former Apple Dylan or Newton
engineers as we can find (and recall that Patrick Beard is quite prominent
in modernising ObjC recently), plus Gwydion, ex-Harlequin etc.

Having explicit permission from Cook to find and publish it might then help
with enquiries to people such as Digitool.

I think that's the better order rather than finding it first and then
asking permission.



On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 9:39 PM, Bruce Mitchener
<[email protected]>wrote:

> Every one in a while, I wonder what it might take to find a way to
> preserve the Apple Dylan sources. I'm not interested in developing them or
> anything like that, but it would be great to have them preserved for the
> future.
>
> I've got a couple of inquiries out on this with some people and have
> talked about it some with Mikel Evins (who also has an inquiry out), but I
> figured I'd try for a larger audience.
>
> One thing is that we aren't sure that the sources even exist any longer or
> that anyone would know where to find them.
>
> One interesting possible route is that Apple contracted Digitool to do the
> PowerPC port in 1995 or 1996 (which also involved, I think, a port from MCL
> 3.x to 4.x).  Apparently, at least Bill St. Clair and Stephen L. Haine at
> Digitool were involved in this and perhaps had the ability to publish a new
> build.  I've no idea what the contract between Apple and Digitool involved.
>
> Another possible route is that at least some assets were transferred from
> Apple to Harlequin, I believe, in 1996 or 1997. I think that this included
> some of the DRM rights as well as the Apple Dylan test suite. I've not run
> into anyone that knew anything further.
>
> Is anyone still in contact with Bill St. Clair, Stephen L. Haine, or other
> people who might have an idea or lead on this?
>
> If nothing else, it would be useful to confirm that the sources even exist
>
> Is there any general interest in helping to chase this down?
>
> Thanks,
>
>  - Bruce
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> hackers mailing list
> [email protected]
> https://lists.opendylan.org/mailman/listinfo/hackers
>
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">I think it would be good to work up a letter to Tim Cook a=
sking primarily for permission to publish the sources should they be found =
by any means, and only secondarily (if at all) for him to try to find them.=
<div>
<br></div><div>I think he&#39;d be open to arguments about preservation of =
history etc. He&#39;s certainly seemed so about things such as the MacPaint=
 source code.</div><div><br></div><div>Once the text of the letter is agree=
d, we could try to get a large number of names/signatures/emails from as ma=
ny former Apple Dylan or Newton engineers as we can find (and recall that P=
atrick Beard is quite prominent in modernising ObjC recently), plus Gwydion=
, ex-Harlequin etc.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Having explicit permission from Cook to find and publis=
h it might then help with enquiries to people such as Digitool.</div><div><=
br></div><div>I think that&#39;s the better order rather than finding it fi=
rst and then asking permission.</div>
<div><br></div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail=
_quote">On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 9:39 PM, Bruce Mitchener <span dir=3D"ltr">&=
lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">bruce.mit=
[email protected]</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">Every one in a while, I won=
der what it might take to find a way to preserve the Apple Dylan sources. I=
&#39;m not interested in developing them or anything like that, but it woul=
d be great to have them preserved for the future.<div>

<br></div><div>I&#39;ve got a couple of inquiries out on this with some peo=
ple and have talked about it some with Mikel Evins (who also has an inquiry=
 out), but I figured I&#39;d try for a larger audience.</div><div><br>
One thing is that we aren&#39;t sure that the sources even exist any longer=
 or that anyone would know where to find them.</div>
<div><br></div><div>One interesting possible route is that Apple contracted=
 Digitool to do the PowerPC port in 1995 or 1996 (which also involved, I th=
ink, a port from MCL 3.x to 4.x). =C2=A0Apparently, at least Bill St. Clair=
 and Stephen L. Haine at Digitool were involved in this and perhaps had the=
 ability to publish a new build. =C2=A0I&#39;ve no idea what the contract b=
etween Apple and Digitool involved.</div>

<div><br></div><div>Another possible route is that at least some assets wer=
e transferred from Apple to Harlequin, I believe, in 1996 or 1997. I think =
that this included some of the DRM rights as well as the Apple Dylan test s=
uite. I&#39;ve not run into anyone that knew anything further.</div>

<div><br></div><div>Is anyone still in contact with Bill St. Clair, Stephen=
 L. Haine, or other people who might have an idea or lead on this?</div><di=
v><br></div><div>If nothing else, it would be useful to confirm that the so=
urces even exist</div>

<div><br></div><div>Is there any general interest in helping to chase this =
down?<br><div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div><br></div><div>=C2=A0- Bruce=
</div><div><br></div></div></div>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
hackers mailing list<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]<=
/a><br>
<a href=3D"https://lists.opendylan.org/mailman/listinfo/hackers" target=3D"=
_blank">https://lists.opendylan.org/mailman/listinfo/hackers</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div><br></div>

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