Re: Proposal: The DFSG do not require source code for data, including firmware
On Tue, Aug 22, 2006 at 03:18:04PM -0700, Steve Langasek wrote:
>
> THE DEBIAN PROJECT therefore,
>
> 1. reaffirms its dedication to providing a 100% free system to our
> users according to our Social Contract and the DFSG; and
>
> 2. encourages authors of all works to make those works available not
> only under licenses that permit modification, but also in forms that make
> such modifications practical; and
>
> 3. supports the decision of the Release Team to require works such as
> images, video, and fonts to be licensed in compliance with the DFSG without
> requiring source code for these works under DFSG #2; and
>
> 4. determines that for the purposes of DFSG #2, device firmware
> shall also not be considered a program.
I'm a little confused as to what this means exactly.
Point 2 seems to say that we consider "source" to be such a form of the
work that modifications are practical, but without actually saying
anything. However, I think such a definition of source would be a good
thing.
But this point really doesn't say much about Debian, it just says we
encourage others to do something. So I don't see why this belongs in
the GR in the first place.
Point 3 then seems to go the other way around and say we don't need
sources for of few types of works. My main problem with this is that
still a little vague about which types of works don't require source.
I guess point 4 is saying the firmware should be considered the same as
the other works in point 3 and the source isn't needed for firmware.
However, it doesn't say anything about other points of the DFSG. So we
should still need a license that allows atleast derived works. And I
don't see how we're going to make derived works of firmware without the
source for it.
Kurt
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