Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Re: [Gnewsense-dev] 9wm - No FSF Free

[Karl Goetz]

On Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:53:50 +0300
Ali Gunduz <address@hidden> wrote:

> On Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 3:22 AM, Alexandre Oliva<address@hidden>
> wrote:
> > On Aug 28, 2009, "Paul O'Malley - gnu's not unix -"
> > <address@hidden> wrote:
> >
> >> Rubén Rodríguez Pérez wrote:
> >
> >>> Its problem is the absence of *explicit* permission for
> >>> modifications:
> >
> >>> Permission is granted to all sentient beings to use this software,
> >>> to make copies of it, and to distribute those copies
> >
> >> The four freedoms don't look like they are being challenged, or am
> >> I wrong?
> >
> > Given that copyright prohibits modification, and the license doesn't
> > grant permission for modifications, I think it's not enough for
> > freedoms #1 and #3 to be respected :-(
> 
> I used to discuss the status of gnuplot over the FSF's irc channel.
> (IIRC John Sullivan was part of the discussion at one point.) The
> general view seems to be that since the ability to modify and
> distribute the modification is not restricted, this kind of
> restriction on the form of distribution doesn't violate users'
> freedom.

I emailed the FSF about this when a bug was filed in gNS, reply was:
"
 We do believe that a requirement to distribute modifications as patches
is allowed in a free software license (even if it is annoying).
"
(extra reasoning trimmed).

> I hope the similarity of these two licenses can clear the issue a
> little.

The question now is: Do we (currently?) distribute the changes to 9wm,
9menu, and larswm as patches (which would be ok), or are we changing
the upstream source directly (which would be a problem[1]).

9wm's Debian package has no patches/ directory, which AIUI means
there is no changes to the package from upstream.

[1] If its the latter, we need a bug in the Debian BTS as well
kk

-- 
Karl Goetz, (Kamping_Kaiser / VK5FOSS)
Debian contributor / gNewSense Maintainer
http://www.kgoetz.id.au
No, I won't join your social networking group

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