Re: could matlab-mode be in ELPA or the GNU emacs tree (like auctex and org-mode)?

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

The reason to mention GNU Octave is because it is replacement for the
non-free Matlab, Emacs also already includes a mode for GNU Octave.

The goal for the GNU project is to make non-free software irrelevant,
maybe matlab support could be added in some form to octave-mode rather
than add a specific mode that only works with non-free software which
would be counter productive to the goals of the GNU project.