Re: Standard license blurb for DDP documents?
On Fri, Sep 16, 2005 at 10:41:09AM +0200, Javier Fernández-Sanguino Peña wrote:
>
> Hi guys,
>
> The FAQ thread on -devel has made me wonder (again) why don't we have
> a generic documentation license that applies to all the DDP documents:
>
> - Some documents use the GPL license: FAQ, Securing Manual, Installation
> Manual, Debian reference, Apt HOWTO, User Guide, Debian Euro HOWTO,
> Debian Policy Manual, Debian Developer's Reference, Debian New Maintainers'
> Guide, Introduction to i18n
> [ Note: the license blurb in all of these documents, however, is not
> the same ]
True. They seem to got phrases from older version of GPL.
> - Some documents have a different (ad-hoc and free) license: Debian History,
> Java FAQ
> - Some documents lack a license: Release Notes, Dselect documentation for
> beginners,
> - Some documents use a non-free license: Debian Repository HOWTO
>
> How about we unify in one, maybe two, licenses? I suggest we ask DDP authors
> to either use the GPL with a standard blurb, such as the one used
> by the Installation Manual (see below for a sample)
It is a good idea. But who will take burden of making such an document.
Also how can we retroactively change license. For my partt, I can do it
easily, but what are we going to do with contributions and borrowed
parts from FAQ.
> And, for those uncomfortable with using the GPL as a document license we
> could provide an edited form of the FreeBSD documentation license avilable
> at http://www.freebsd.org/copyright/freebsd-doc-license.html (see below for a
> sample)
>
> Comments?
For me, any DSFG compliant license will be fine as long as I do not need
to argue with others and can make everyone happy.
As for details, please read on. i have some nit-pick. 9i do not like
to do this but I do not want to have big issues later either):
> GPL Blurb:
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Copyright xxxx-xxxxx Software in the Public Interest. All rights reserved.
>
> This manual is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify it under
> the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
> Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any later version.
>
> This manual is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but without
> any warranty; without even the implied warranty of merchantability or fitness
> for a particular purpose. See the GNU General Public License for more
> details.
>
> A copy of the GNU General Public License is available as
> /usr/share/common-licenses/GPL in the Debian GNU/Linux distribution or on the
> World Wide Web at the GNU website. You can also obtain it by writing to the
> Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
> 02111-1307, USA.
>
> We require that you properly attribute Debian and the authors of this
> document on any materials derived from this document. If you modify and
> improve this document, we request that you notify the authors of this
^^^^^^^
> document, via XXXXXXXXX@debian.org
If we request this on the top of standard GPL, this will be non-GPL
license due to extra constrain. As I understand, GPL source can be
modified without notifying the source author. If we change "request" to
"appreciate", I think this is OK.
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> DDP Blurb:
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Copyright xxxx-xxxxx Software in the Public Interest. All rights reserved.
>
> Redistribution and use in source (SGML DocBook or Debiandoc) and
> 'compiled' forms (SGML, HTML, PDF, PostScript, RTF and so forth) with
> or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
> are met:
>
> 1. Redistributions of source code (SGML DocBook or Debiandoc) must retain
Why just sgml. XML and tex source :-)
> the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
> disclaimer as the first lines of this file unmodified.
> 2. Redistributions in compiled form (transformed to other DTDs, converted
> to PDF, PostScript, RTF and other formats) must reproduce the above
> copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
> in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
>
> THIS DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED BY THE DEBIAN DOCUMENTATION PROJECT "AS IS"
> AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
> IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
> ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE FREEBSD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT BE LIABLE
> FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
> DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
> SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
> CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
> OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
> OF THIS DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
By the way, how about adding few words to address borroewed documents.
Let's indicate that those borrowed contents are still under the same
constrain as the original one.
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Javi, I think it is easiest if we agree on one license and require it to
be used for future documentation only.
Cheers,
Osamu
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