Re: the ncurses "brushfire" -- anybody want to take over the project?
Jim Pick <jim@jimpick.com> writes:
> Debian is getting more consistent on this all of the time.
> Obviously, we weren't too consistent when ncurses got into the
> distribution, with a license that doesn't permit modifications. It
> looks like it was introduced very early in the history of Debian, so
> it escaped public scrutiny.
Well, it's been around in various forms for quite some time, but it
wasn't until the ELF move, and the subsequent dropping of BSD curses
from the libc distribution that it because important.
I must admit that I didn't study the license carefully when I took it
over and ELF-ized it, because I assumed it had already been
scrutinized.
> Maybe Bruce could send Eric a copy of the draft "social contract",
> just so he can see how consistent we are trying to be.
Bruce did.
Eric then rightly pointed out that the way it is written, it *does*
permit the redistribution of packages that do not allow modification
of source---that is, in fact, the very first item. To wit:
1. The software may be redistributed by anyone. The license may
restrict a source file from being distributed in modified form,
as long as it allows modified binary files, and files that are
distributed along with the source for the express purpose of
modifying the source.
So Eric is entirely correct in pointing out that the project is being
contradictory.
And, I suppose, means that a lot of the discussion here, largely a
result of my agitation, has been hogwash. Today is apparently my day
for saying Mea Culpa.
Which doesn't mean I don't find the current disputes tiresome, and I
think some things have been said that I still do not like the tone of,
and I'm still not sure at this time how much I want to be responsible
for this puppy, *but* I must admit that I've been working under a
number of mistaken assumptions at various points here, and Eric is
obviously acting with a much better command of those pesky little fact
thingies.
Mike.
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