Hi Chet, On Tue, Mar 21, 2006 at 09:13:29AM -0500, Chet Ramey wrote: > Matthias Klose wrote: > > Debian recently decided about distribution of GFDL documents in Debian > > (http://www.us.debian.org/News/2006/20060316). Here is the > > corresponding bug report for bash.
> > - would you consider removing the section about the cover texts? > Sure, I'll consider it. On the other hand, I find it interesting that > Debian would refuse to distribute an entire manual simply because, for > instance, I would like a dedication to remain unmodified. Is it that > important to the ideological purists that they retain the option to > delete, again for example, a dedication I might make to my wife and > children? That's a lot of baby to be thrown out for very little > bathwater. Debian's Social Contract is a promise to our users that everything we distribute as part of the Debian operating system comes under a license that grants them certain rights, and (as agreed in this recent vote) unmodifiable sections conflict with one of those rights -- namely, to adapt the work for any purpose. The classic example of an adaptation prevented by invariant sections is exerpting a manual for a reference card; you can read about other problems Debian contributors have found with the GFDL at <http://people.debian.org/~srivasta/Position_Statement.xhtml>. We're certainly not keen to throw great documentation out of Debian; indeed, Debian wouldn't refuse to distribute any documentation because of this license -- but because of the Social Contract, we wouldn't be able to distribute it in Debian main, it would have to be moved to our non-free section. I for one can certainly appreciate the sentiments embodied in dedications, cover texts, and the like; but for free documentation, I think their inclusion is a matter that should be left to the good will of the community, rather than enforced through licensing. Cheers, -- Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.debian.org/
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