Re: Any script to populate debian/copyright file ?

[Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au>]

Vincent Cheng <vincentc1208@gmail.com> writes:

> $ licensecheck --copyright -r . | /usr/lib/cdbs/licensecheck2dep5 >
> debian/copyright
>
> You still have to look through your debian/copyright file manually to
> check for any mistakes or inconsistencies, but at the very least, the
> syntax would be correct.

You also need to be aware of the caveat that ‘licensecheck’ can only
find information in the files; if there are files with no copyright
information declared, the tool obviously can't find it.

The Debian package maintainer role entails responsibility for the
assertions in the ‘debian/copyright’ file; you need to be ready to
defend the completeness of the information in that file.

If you're not confident that the work's copyright holders and license
terms are completely (which means “no significant omissions”) documented
in the ‘debian/copyright’ file, your package isn't ready to release.

No tool can do that for you; it can help you begin the task, but there
is effort and investigation you need to do yourself.

-- 
 \     “Buy not what you want, but what you need; what you do not need |
  `\           is expensive at a penny.” —Cato, 234–149 BCE, _Relique_ |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney