First the last, There were always free ST versions as far as I can remember. The "little guy" could e.g. use "Little Smalltalk" by Budd which appeared before 1987.

No one could write a commercial program with Little Smalltalk. Love the book, but the implementation is not going to work. Heck, Squeak could not do a program that looked anything like a real Windows or Mac program.

Maybe we're talking past each other but the IDE says the community edition is only authorized for GPL software, every other edition is big bucks. https://www.adacore.com/gnatpro/comparison

Well, if you were willing to spend 60$ you could buy a Smalltalk package suited for commercial applications which looked somehow like Windows. But that's not the topic here anyway.

> Maybe we're talking past each other but the IDE says the community edition is only authorized for GPL software, every other edition is big bucks.

Do not let this mislead you. The software is available under GPL. That is all you need to know. And GPL allows you to use the software for any purpose. Maybe I should mention that I studied law for two years and then had one more year of lectures in patent and license contract law (see my profile for more information).

Ok, no. Look at the GPL interaction with App Stores. GPL has been debated on HN forever.

I do not understand what you are trying to say. I also don't understand what the current topic of conversation has to do with App Stores.

> There is no reason why you couldn't use FSF GNAT or GPS in closed-source projects.

But there is Fear Uncertainty & Doubt.

Although we have the Enlightenment behind us, there is still superstition. There is nothing I can do about that.

You inform those who are open to being better informed.

Well, obviously with moderate success ;-)