On Thu, Apr 14, 2005 at 10:31:47PM -0400, Glenn Maynard wrote: > On Thu, Apr 14, 2005 at 08:08:18PM -0400, sean finney wrote: > > On Thu, Apr 14, 2005 at 11:47:26PM +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote: > > > Therefore, all GPL'd programs will have to go to non-free. > > > > there's nothing that prevents us from re-distributing modified copies > > of the GPL, we just can't do so and claim that they are the GPL. even > > if you did want to nitpick that (why?), such a restriction is acceptable > > according to the DFSG. for example, many authors choose to license > > their software under a 'modified GPL' or 'GPL-with-some-exceptions'. > > Er, no. The GPL can only be modified if the preamble is removed, which > means the preamble is an invariant section. The *only* reason the > text of the GPL is allowed in main is because including license texts > is a fundamental, unavoidable requirement of distributing software at > all, unless one limits oneself to public domain works.
I'd also say that for a user, access to documentation is an unavoidable requirement for using the software (e.g. for most non-trivial uses it will be a pain to work with a gcc without any documentation of the available options - and even Debian developers will have to use the GFDL'ed documentation as part of their Debian work). That doesn't stop Debian from removing the documentation. > Adrian, you're deliberately wasting the project's time with a very old, > eternity-since-debunked "argument". That's known as "trolling". Unless > you have something of value to say, go away. If you call me a "troll", please tell me where this is documented. I have done: - read the last two months of debian-devel - read the draft "FAQ on documentation licensing" currently discussed on debian-legal I assume it's not expected to read the complete 10 years of debian-devel before being allowed to send an email to debian-devel. If you can point me to some document I should have found that explains Debians position on this issue I do hereby apologize in advance for wasting bandwith with this thread. If there isn't one, I await your apologize for calling me a troll. > Glenn Maynard cu Adrian -- "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days. "Only a promise," Lao Er said. Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]