Live data from Hacker News

Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

github.com

1–10 of 56 posts

Re: Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

#4
post #3

Maybe someone can now fix the following bug? "if you started the auto-dock on the wrong side of the station, it would crash into it instead"

You aren’t allowed to make any changes.

Under GitHub's rules, you have the right to read and fork this repository... but that's it. No other use is permitted, I'm afraid.

— README.md

Re: Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

#5
post #4
post #3

Maybe someone can now fix the following bug? "if you started the auto-dock on the wrong side of the station, it would crash into it instead"

You aren’t allowed to make any changes. Under GitHub's rules, you have the right to read and fork this repository... but that's it. No other use is permitted, I'm afraid. — README.md

It seems though the person who did this repo already violated the copyright by adding these annotations to the source code, correct?

It wouldn't be a reason or validation for others doing the same, of course.

However, whatever one would choose to do, it's best not to do it in GitHub..

Re: Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

#6
post #5
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You aren’t allowed to make any changes. Under GitHub's rules, you have the right to read and fork this repository... but that's it. No other use is permitted, I'm afraid. — README.md

It seems though the person who did this repo already violated the copyright by adding these annotations to the source code, correct? It wouldn't be a reason or validation for others doing the same, of course. However, whatever one would choose to do, it's best not to do it in GitHub..

The creator of the repository does mention it:

> My hope is that the educational and non-profit intentions of this repository will enable it to stay hosted and available, but the original copyright holders do have the right to ask for it to be taken down, in which case I will comply without hesitation. I do hope, though, that along with the various other disassemblies and commentaries of this source, it will remain viable.

Re: Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

#7
post #3

Maybe someone can now fix the following bug? "if you started the auto-dock on the wrong side of the station, it would crash into it instead"

Is it perhaps as easy as adding the check on https://github.com/markmoxon/elite-source-code-commodore-64/... ?

Re: Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

#8
post #4
post #3

Maybe someone can now fix the following bug? "if you started the auto-dock on the wrong side of the station, it would crash into it instead"

You aren’t allowed to make any changes. Under GitHub's rules, you have the right to read and fork this repository... but that's it. No other use is permitted, I'm afraid. — README.md

That is true, but that doesn't mean that someone can't do it anyway. Copyright is a right, not an obligation (unlike trademarks where enforcement is required to preserve the trademark)

If someone makes a patch and publishes it, the rightsholders do have a case against whoever published it, but that requires enforcement in the form of a C&D or a lawsuit. The rightsholder might very well decide to not do anything about it, which happens fairly commonly.

This is not a substantial barrier for making a patch like that.

Re: Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

#9
post #6
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems though the person who did this repo already violated the copyright by adding these annotations to the source code, correct? It wouldn't be a reason or validation for others doing the same, of course. However, whatever one would choose to do, it's best not to do it in GitHub..

The creator of the repository does mention it: > My hope is that the educational and non-profit intentions of this repository will enable it to stay hosted and available, but the original copyright holders do have the right to ask for it to be taken down, in which case I will comply without hesitation. I do hope, though, that along with the various other disassemblies and commentaries of this source, it will remain v…

Long copyrights are a cancer in our society. Just notice the fear in his writing - "without hesitation". We're talking about a ~40 year piece of work here.

Patents last 20 years and people keep filing them in the millions. We remain an inventive species. Obviously the protection works. Why do we need to protect copyrights for near a century?

Re: Documented and annotated source code for Elite on the Commodore 64

#10
post #7
post #3

Maybe someone can now fix the following bug? "if you started the auto-dock on the wrong side of the station, it would crash into it instead"

Is it perhaps as easy as adding the check on https://github.com/markmoxon/elite-source-code-commodore-64/... ?

Unfortunately it isn't that simple. Check 3 only looks to see if we are moving backwards into the station slot. This is a bit pointless to calculate as falling backwards would mean that a number of the other checks (e.g. angle of approach) will already be failing.

This is why check 3 is omitted from later versions of Elite, including the C64 version; it isn't needed.

Lots of information on the docking checks here:

https://elite.bbcelite.com/deep_dives/docking_checks.html

Besides, is this a bug or a feature? Elite lore says that machine intelligence is banned in the galaxy, so I like to think of this as fitting in with that. Docking computers can kill you in Elite - and it's the same in Elite Dangerous. :-)

Post reply on HN