Kapil Hari Paranjape <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > RMS responded: > > That description is misleading--we are not "headed" anywhere on this > > issue. We are already there, and we have been there for many years. > > We have been using invariant sections since the 80s, and we continue > > to use them. > > > > Today some people in Debian object to the practice, but I don't think > > their reasons are valid. I thought about the ethics of this issue > > long ago, and decided that invariant sections are legitimate. So we > > are not going to change the policy. > > So it does look like GNU is going to stick with the Invariant sections > for a while. I would like to humbly (as a non-developer and occasional > reader of debian-legal) make the following suggestions: > > 1. Debian should indicate in its documentation that (under the DFSG) > the GFDL is free only if there are no invariant sections. > > 2. In addition, (indicate that) material that is under the GFDL and > contains invariant sections that are already distributed by Debian > separately (such as the GNU manifesto and the various licenses) *is* > (as far as I can see from the GFDL) distributable by Debian but is > non-free. Clearly a clarifying mail (regarding distributability) > from GNU, or failing that from the author(s) of the documentation > would help. > > 3. Indicate (on some DFSG related page) that Debian has encouraged(*) > and > continues to encourage the distribution of author supplied documents > that accompany software even when such distribution is not legally > mandated by the license or required in order for the software to > function. (*) There are numerous cases such as "emacs", > "vim" and the write-ups associated with various network sniffing > tools.
I agree with all your points. I think we should move forward moving those docs to non-free. It'll mean a few packages from non-free on my systems, but if that's what RMS wants it's not a huge deal for me as long as they are still available. What that happens, I'll get my package of dwarfs-debian-guide moved to non-free as well (it contains a invariant section and a back-cover text). Peter
