Re: A possible GFDL compromise

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

    Several Debian developers have claimed that they are working with the
    FSF to make the GFDL DFSG-free and GPL-compatible, specifically:

I think I see two misunderstandings here.  Just who has misunderstood,
I cannot tell.

First, as far as I have heard, Debian has not yet voted on the
question of which GFDL-covered documents to accept.  I have therefore
been trying to convince Debian developers that the GFDL is a free
license and should be accepted.  Has Debian actually made this
decision?

Second, the FSF is not working on changing the GFDL now.  We intend to
continue to use invariant sections that cannot be removed, as we have
always done.  The only issue being considered (if it is still being
considered) is what decision Debian will make about use of the GFDL.

To make the GFDL somehow compatible with the GPL would be desirable,
but it is not simple.  It would require making a sort of
combined-license with terms like the GPL for software and terms like
the GFDL for documentation.  That raises lots of difficult issues.  At
this point all we have done is begin to think about it in very general
terms.  We won't try to go beyond that until after GPL 3 is ready--and
we're not making much progress on GPL 3 due to lack of manpower.