Re: Fwd: reiser4 non-free?
Russ Allbery wrote:
> Lewis Jardine <s9902074@sms.ed.ac.uk> writes:
>
>> I find it unlikely that people intelligent enough to write software as
>> complex as Apache, Sendmail, Linux, Thunderbird, etc. would license
>> their software under a license they haven't fully read, or don't fully
>> understand. I (and, in my opinion, any 'reasonable person') must assume
>> that when an author releases under the GPL, he intends to permit any
>> modification of the program (including the removal of run-time
>> advertisements), as the GPL states.
>
> The GPL is actually a rather interesting case here, since it *does*
> require the preservation of credits, and in a way that I believe Debian
> finds acceptably free.
>
> | 2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
> | of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and
> | distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
> | above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:
> |
> | [...]
> |
> | c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
> | when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
> | interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
> | announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
> | notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
> | a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
> | these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
> | License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
> | does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
> | the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
>
> In fact, on first glance, I'm not sure that I understand the difference
> between Debian's inclusion of software which triggers GPL 2c (such as bc)
> and a similar clause for non-interactive programs. Maybe I'm missing some
> previous discussion?
Well, first of all we don't really like programs which trigger 2c.
Second, and much more important, non-interactive programs often have defined
output. A similar credits requirement on a non-interactive program can
make it outright impossible to make the code produce the necessary defined
output.
--
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
Reply to: