Re: Emacs info documentation missing in Debian Unstable

[Ben Finney <bignose@debian.org>]

Nishan Singh Mann <nishan.singh.mann@gmail.com> writes:

> Hello, on Ubuntu 17.10 which to my knowledge is based on Debian unstable,
> installing Emacs via $sudo apt install emacs and then trying to view the
> Emacs manual using C-h r fails with error "Info file emacs does not
> exist"

The Emacs manual is distributed subject to the GNU FDL, which imposes
non-free restrictions on modification and redistribution. (Yes, it's
very misleading to have non-free restrictions in a so-called “free
documentation license”, but that's what the FSF have chosen.)

Manoj Srivastava has summarised effectively
<URL:https://people.debian.org/~srivasta/Position_Statement.xhtml> why
the GNU FDL makes a work non-free.

So, Emacs under condition of the GNU GPL is free, and is in Debian; but
the Emacs manual under condition of the GNU FDL is non-free, so it
cannot be in Debian.

You can either view the manual online
<URL:https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/> or get it from outside
Debian (for example, the ‘non-free’ area which is not part of Debian).

-- 
 \        “Ubi dubium, ibi libertas.” (“Where there is doubt, there is |
  `\                                                        freedom.”) |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney