Re: [DebianGIS] [ gpsdrive ] gpsfetchmap
> Andreas Putzo:
> > Hi,
> >
> > i noticed that the header of gpsfetchmap.pl changed from the last
> >
> > release. It now states:
> > | #!/usr/bin/perl
> > | # gpsfetchmap
> > | #
> > | # You are allowed to modify the source code in any way you want
> > | # except you cannot modify this copyright details
> > | # or remove the polite feature.
> > | #
> > | # NO WARRANTY.
> >
> > This looks to me like some kind of a license statement. Beside that it
> > is quite incomplete (is redistribution granted?) it unfortunately has
> > a clause in it i would consider not to be free.
> > Not changing the copright should be fine but why is it not allowed to
> > remove the polite feature?
> > IMHO this restriction does not make sense anyway because i can easily
> > use the command line switch --polite=0 if i choose to be impolite (not
> > that i ever would :).
> > I don't know when exactly this has been introduced but maybe it can be
> > changed back? Why not put this script under the GPL like the rest of
> > gpsdrive?
Joerg Ostertag wrote:
> This restriction was introduced to reduce the chance of getting in trouble
> with any of the map providers. But in then long term we hopefully won't need
> to support any restricted map-provider with gpsfetchmap any more.
That will surely fail the Debian Free Software Guidelines test. (cc'ing
DebianGIS for a more authoritative answer) I would guess the "you may not
remove the polite feature" license term in practice wouldn't help any with
regard to upsetting map server owners with bulk downloads; they are already mad
by the time they see that, if they see that. It would be better to just ensure
that the default is set to polite mode, maybe even hardcode it to require the
user to do an obvious minor edit in the script to disable it.
Hamish
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