Tango

[Peter Simons]

You know what? With all these problems the GNU Autoconf
Macro Archive has been having lately, I was wondering
whether I should switch distributions too. I mean, this
really is a fucked up place, and I don't see how I could
possibly salvage that.

So I entered "autoconf macro" in Google and scrolled down
past dozens of hits on my own site, which doesn't help me,
and at last found a different archive, that really rocked.
Man, I thought, I'm sure lucky I can give this maintenance
business up and let someone else do the work.

I've practically reconfigured my system to install their
stuff rather than my crap, and guess what? Holy shit, I
thought, I almost forgot about checking their licensing
policies first.

So I check that out ... you won't believe me anyway, here,
look for yourself:

  http://ac-archive.sourceforge.net/Installed_Packages/peti_with_dmalloc.html

That's one kick-ass macro, because I have written that. It's
flattering to see they carry it. But is there licensing
information? Hell no!

I am terrified. After what I've just experienced ... phew,
I've become pretty sensitive on that spot now. Perhaps the
license is in the source code?

  http://ac-archive.sourceforge.net/Installed_Packages/peti_with_dmalloc.m4

Uh oh.

What now? Let's look at the front page. That leads us to:

  http://ac-archive.sourceforge.net/copyright.html

And guess what? That's ALL WRONG!

I have licensed this macro under an all-permissive license.
Yet, the archive on sf.net seems to say it was licensed
under GPL with the Autoconf exception. I mean, that's real
nasty, because the sf.net archive is actually distributing
that macro under more restrictive terms than I am.

I've checked, and there are DOZENS of other cases.

So what do we do now?

I would really love to have my macro distributed under the
same license I licensed it. And I guess, the dozens of other
macro authors who are in the same position would like that
too.

Perhaps this is a good occasion to put old quarrels aside,
Guido. I know what kind of storm breaks loose when people
notice what your archive is doing. I really sympathize. I
would like to offer you my help.

Yes, it comes unexpected, but what the hell. You may know
that the archive on Savannah does have _all_ those macros
you have too, and it does have proper licensing attribution
for the vast majority of macros, because that's what I have
been busy doing the last few days, so ... since it is
already THERE, nicely formatted and heavily edited for
consistency, why don't you just copy my whole repository
over and distribute it as yours? Under your name and all?

Come on, it is free software after all! ;-)

Peter