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Re: copyright vs. license



On Wed, 2005-01-12 at 12:52 -0500, Justin Pryzby wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I've been manually filing bugs against packages with improper
> copyright files, as per this thread:
> 
>   http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2004/03/msg02190.html
> 
> I stopped when I started gettign consecutive bug numbers :)  I've been
> using Severity: normal, although it is arguably a violation of Policy
> 12.5:
> 
> 	Every package must be accompanied by a verbatim copy of its
> 	copyright and distribution license in the file
> 	/usr/share/doc/package/copyright.

This is what I was going to file bugs on previously (as well as GFDL
bugs) [0]. Missing copyright statements, lack of references to the GPL,
licenses in the /usr/share/doc/foo directory instead of in the copyright
file, etc. Honestly, I have seen very few good copyright files.

> I have lintian and dh-make bugs that will help prevent this in the
> future:
> 
>   http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=286842
>   http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=286843

Thank you.  I wrote a tool that checks copyright files of installed
packages for problems. It is very, well, anal. But you're welcome to it
if you want it. [1] I wouldn't file bugs on all of its output, though,
because it's so picky.

> But these certainly still need to be fixed:
> 
> 	Copyright:
> 
> 	GPL 2.0
> 
> another one:
> 
> 	Copyright: Most recent version of the GPL.
> 
> and this is common:
> 
> 	Copyright:
> 
> 	[GPL follows]
> 
> Starting with installed package "aalib1" (no problem there), I opened
> ~30 bugs in specific packages, and I didn't even make it to "gcc".

In future, you should ask on -devel first before mass-filing bugs,
otherwise you will be fed to Colin Watson. [2] And you might want to
wait until after sarge, whenever it happens, because otherwise the
release team will become cross with you.

> Please Cc: me,
> Justin

I am doing so.

[0] http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2004/11/msg00429.html
[1] Contact me off-list.
[2] And remember, you are crunchy and taste good with tartar sauce :-)

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