Re: [PATCH] README: Git is released under the GPLv2, not just "the GPL"

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini@gmail.com>
Date: Dec 15, 2012, 19:22 UTC
Message-ID: <50CCCE0A.40305@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <7v38z7tb7q.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>

On 12/15/2012 07:35 PM, Junio C Hamano wrote:

Show 14 quoted lines

> Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:
> 
>> Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> And this is clearly stressed by Linus in the COPYING file.  So make it
>>> clear in the README as well, to avoid possible misunderstandings.
>>>
>>> Signed-off-by: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini@gmail.com>
>>> ---
>>
>> I have nothing against this patch, but I am curious if you saw any
>> misunderstandings in the real world, or if you are merely trying to
>> avoid "possible" ones.
>>

Only playing safe against "possible" misunderstandings, especially now that the GPLv3 has taken root and has supplanted the v2 in several projects (e.g., Perl, and obviously most GNU packages).

Show 42 quoted lines

>>>  README | 7 ++++---
>>>  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>>>
>>> diff --git a/README b/README
>>> index d2690ec..c50e6f4 100644
>>> --- a/README
>>> +++ b/README
>>> @@ -19,9 +19,10 @@ Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an
>>>  unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations
>>>  and full access to internals.
>>>  
>>> -Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License.
>>> -It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help of a group of
>>> -hackers around the net. It is currently maintained by Junio C Hamano.
>>> +Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License
>>> +(version 2).  It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help
>>> +of a group of hackers around the net. It is currently maintained by
>>> +Junio C Hamano.
>>>  
>>>  Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.
> 
> The project as a whole is GPLv2, and inclusion of pieces licensed
> under different but compatible terms does not change it, but we may
> want to do this instead.
> 
> I am just one of the "group of hackers around the net" in the
> context of this overview, so I think it is OK to drop that
> "currently maintained by" bit. The audience of this document does
> not have to find out and interact with the maintainer.
> 
> diff --git a/README b/README
> index d2690ec..c365e3c 100644
> --- a/README
> +++ b/README
> @@ -19,9 +19,10 @@ Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an
>  unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations
>  and full access to internals.
>  
> -Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License.
> +Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public
> +License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses).
>

Maybe you could be even more explicit ans state "some parts of it are under different licenses, compatible with the GPLv2". But maybe this is just overkill?

Show 6 quoted lines

>  It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help of a group of
> -hackers around the net. It is currently maintained by Junio C Hamano.
> +hackers around the net.
>  
>  Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.
>

Thanks,
  Stefano