Hi, The Debian package of DocBook: The Definitive Guide is currently orphaned and unmaintained. I'm considering maintaining it as I need to consult it from time-to-time. While investigating the package I noticed this release-critical bug against it: http://bugs.debian.org/280485 This relates to the licencing of TDG and is an issue because a recent general resolution of the Debian project ruled that works licenced under the GFDL are free according to the standards of freedom Debian has set for itself, provided they do not contain unmodifiable sections. We would prefer to distribute TDG in the "free" section of the archive if possible. The problem with unmodifiable sections is that they are against the idea of free software (and free documentation) - that you have the freedom to make any changes necessary or wanted and share them with the world. http://www.debian.org/vote/2006/vote_001#outcome Would it be possible for Norman Walsh and O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. to grant permission for "DocBook: The Definitive Guide" to be distributed without the back cover text? The reason is that back cover texts are unmodifiable and irremovable. A statement from both copyright holders giving permission to distribute TDG under the GFDL with no invariant sections, front cover texts or back cover texts should be sufficient. Alternatively, removing the text "; with the Back-Cover Texts being Back Cover Text" from the licence text of the upcoming release would suffice. http://docbook.org/tdg/en/html/dbcpyright.html Thanks in advance for any assistance or clarifications you may be able to offer. -- bye, pabs http://wiki.debian.org/PaulWise
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