On 14 Dec 2006 13:39:29 -0600, Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs(a)math.uh.edu> wrote:
>>>>> "SJS" == Stephen John Smoogen
<smooge(a)gmail.com> writes:
SJS> B) One should distinguish v1 and v2 of the GPL. The changes if I
SJS> remember were rather important. I don't know of any code though
SJS> under v1.
I recall that the original discussion about this came to the
conclusion that GPL1 and 2 shouldn't be distinguished. I'll see if I
can't dig it up:
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:41:43] <abadger1999> Okay. License Tags isnext
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:42:09] <tibbs> List discussion seemed to lean towards this
being just a superficial description of the license.
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:42:31] <tibbs> That we shouldn't try to get too
specific with the license tags.
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:42:46] <lutter> yeah, I don't see that ever being more
than an indication
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:42:51] <abadger1999> I tend to agree with that.
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:43:00] <tibbs> So "GPL", not "GPLv2"
and "GPLv3", etc.
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:43:20] <tibbs> And "BSD", not "BSD with
advertising".
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:43:21] <abadger1999> The License field shouldn't be
misleading, though.
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:44:10] <abadger1999> So if GPLv2 and GPLv3 are different
enough we would want to differentiate.
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:44:13] <tibbs> And packagers should brave the rpmlint
warning rather than lying about the license just to shut it up.
[Thu Aug 10 2006] [11:44:17] <lutter> for GPL, I could go either way; if it's
BSD with modifications, why not just 'BSD variation'
I see a disagreement between abadger and tibbs about 2 and 3. Not 1 & 2.
SJS> D) I would go for a standardization as the following:
SJS> Name of license, Version of license, File(s) to see details.
Well, that's contrary to pretty much all of the previous discussion.
How do others feel?
What can I say.. I can be a pretty contrary person. The issue of the
license field is mainly to help inform the user of the rights they can
expect on copying and/or modifying the code/binary. Since most people
only see the compiled source.. it probably doesnt matter if the
license just says: You can distribute/modify it. OR You can't
distribute/modify it.
--
Stephen J Smoogen. -- CSIRT/Linux System Administrator
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed
in a naughty world. = Shakespeare. "The Merchant of Venice"