Re: A possible GFDL compromise: a proposal
* Mathieu Roy (yeupou@gnu.org) [030909 13:50]:
> Andreas Barth <aba@not.so.argh.org> a tapoté :
> > * Mathieu Roy (yeupou@gnu.org) [030909 11:20]:
> > > Not *in* Debian, but *shipped by* Debian. For you, there's no
> > > distinction between GNU Emacs manual and Macromedia Flash?
> > There is exactly one: We are allowed to distribute the manual, but not
> > the Flash player. So installation of the second needs some ugly
> > tricks, and perhaps it would be better to create a new archive
> > "non-free-installers" for this (and similar code).
> I see many others differences. Am I dreaming or you can modify almost
> the GNU Emacs manual, you can distribute largely this manual (modified
> or not), you have the preferred form for modification of the GNU Emacs
> manual.
> It does not sounds so similar to be.
If I speak at d-l, I of course look at the things that are relevant
here, and that is their status in relation to the DFSG, and for
inclusion in non-free (which is not a part of Debian), the possibility
of distribution by ftp-servers. At the first question there is no
difference, and at the second there is one, as I said.
If you ask my personal opinion, there is absolut no difference, as I
don't use emacs, and I also don't use Flash. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
We have the DFSG for exactly this reasons: We (meaning the Debian
Project) can't decide what software is allowed in main by personal
preference, independent whether it's mine, the of the DPL or the RM.
So we need rules or at least a guidline when software could be part of
Debian. These guidlines are the Debian Free Software Guildlines, and
they are a part of our social contract. (And of course, but off-topic
here, the policy including all sub-policy parts are also rules for
inclusion in Debian.)
And the DFSG draw a sharp line: Either a package matches the DFSG,
then it could be part of Debian, and be uploaded to main. Or a package
doesn't match. Then it can't be part of main. There is nothing else to
discuss at d-l. (Of course, there are questions like "maintainership",
"policy conformance", ..., but they are off-topic here.)
Cheers,
Andi
PS: I could now write a lot of footnotes, but they don't change the
basic rules written above. Of course we must always act in a sensible
way, and don't rush to action.
--
http://home.arcor.de/andreas-barth/
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