On Fri, Jan 23, 2004 at 11:55:03AM -0800, Don Armstrong wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Jan 2004, Anthony Towns wrote:
> > It's a requirement that all the programs in main satisfy the requirements
> > of the DFSG.
> All the software in main.
*shrug* You can play word games all you like, but the claim that we
require everything in main to satisfy the requirements of the DFSG is
simply false.
> > At present it's not a requirement that the text of copyright
> > licenses, or documentation satisfy the requirements of the DFSG.
> This is a matter of some (heh) debate.
Anyone who's debating whether we actually require it right now is foolish.
We don't. See http://people.debian.org/~ajt/sarge_rc_policy.txt if you
want something written up. Look through the archive, or the RC bug list,
if you want evidence that would refute such claims.
There's not much debate about whether we should require everything in main
to be DFSG-free -- that would also be foolish, because we'd be unable to
distribute the GPL, and thus unable to distribute any GPLed software.
There's also not much debate about whether we should require documentation
and data in main to be DFSG-free -- there's a fairly good consensus that we
should require it in the relatively near future.
There might be some debate about whether we should immediately drop all
non-DFSG-free data and documentation. I certainly think it would be
a ridiculously foolish thing to do, both from a technical standpoint
of the best way to support our users, and from the standpoint of
making it difficult for people to negotiate with the FSF to improve
the GFDL. TTBOMK, both the delegates in charge of vetting licenses,
ie ftpmaster, and the DPL agree with this view. I'm not aware of anyone
making serious alternative suggestions.
So no, I don't really think this is a matter of much debate.
> > Andrew's proposal does nothing to affect this at all.
> I gather you're discussing the non-free proposal, as the SC
> modification does clear up the former half of the above debate.
Well, yes, that's what the Subject: is all about...
Cheers,
aj
--
Anthony Towns <aj@humbug.org.au> <http://azure.humbug.org.au/~aj/>
I don't speak for anyone save myself. GPG signed mail preferred.
Linux.conf.au 2004 -- Because we could.
http://conf.linux.org.au/ -- Jan 12-17, 2004
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