[R] R on the iPhone/iPad? Not so much....a GPL violation

[Marc Schwartz]

Hi all,

There have been posts in the past about R being made available for the iPhone and perhaps more logically now, on the iPad. My recollection is that the hurdle discussed in the past was primarily a lack of access to a CLI on the iPhone's variant of OSX, compelling the development of a GUI interface for R specifically for these devices. R itself, can be successfully compiled with the iPhone development tools.

Well, now there is another, clearly more profound reason.

The FSF has recently communicated with Apple on the presence of a GPL application (GNU Go) in the iTunes store because the iTunes TOS infringes upon the GPL. Apple, given a choice, elected to remove the application, rather than amending their TOS. 

The FSF also informed the developers of the iPhone port of GNU Go that their distribution is in violation of the GPL. R Core and any others considering an iPhone/iPad port of R, if you are not already aware, take note...

More information is here:

  http://www.fsf.org/news/2010-05-app-store-compliance/

with an update here:

  http://www.fsf.org/news/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement

So, until Apple amends their TOS agreement, it looks like there will be no GPL apps available for the iPhone/iPad, since the only way to make applications available for these platforms is via the iTunes store (unless you unlock the device). Hence, no R for these devices in the foreseeable future.

BTW, I am posting this as an FYI, not as a catalyst for a discussion on the political aspects of this situation. So please, let's not go there...  :-)

Regards,

Marc Schwartz