[ Thanks to Dave Guard for this
link. ]
“Imagine where free software would be today if it weren’t for
the GNU C Compiler! Just as free software depends heavily on free
compilers, so does free design rely on having free computer aided
design and authoring tools.“Before the gcc was created, when free software had to be
written on proprietary compilers, the software development
community was limited to the very small number of people who could
afford to purchase such tools–either because they were
professional programmers or very dedicated amateurs…”