Re: [bug-diffutils] bug: diff -r swaps the files it should check

[Santiago Vila]

On Thu, 4 Aug 2011, Paul Eggert wrote:

> On 08/04/11 07:20, Jim Meyering wrote:
> >> I'm not sure if we talked about this before, but a manual which would
> >> > be dual licensed GPL + (GFDL with front-cover and back-cover) would
> >> > solve the issue completely for us. If this is still possible, that
> >> > would be great.
> > I don't know the status/details of this.
> > Paul, have you looked at it?
> 
> The GNU coding standards encourage the use of the GFDL
> for nontrivial manuals such as the diff manual
> <http://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain/html_node/License-Notices-for-Documentation.html>.
> 
> I don't know about any GNU policy for dual-licensing.
> Unless there's good precedent for that, I'd be inclined
> to stick with the GFDL.

Do you need a policy for dual-licensing? I think it would be just
enough that you are allowed to dual-license it (in other words, it
would probably be enough that you don't have a policy *forbidding*
dual-licensing!)

As an example, the gettext manual is dual licensed:

   This manual is free documentation.  It is dually licensed under the
GNU FDL and the GNU GPL.  This means that you can redistribute this
manual under either of these two licenses, at your choice.

> -copy and modify this GNU manual.  Buying copies from the FSF
> -supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
> +copy and modify this GNU manual.''
>  @end quotation
>  @end copying
>  
> Would this be enough to address the Debian project's concerns?
> (Sorry, I don't know what they are.)

I'm afraid it's not. We had a General Resolution about this:

http://www.debian.org/vote/2006/vote_001

The end result is that we distribute FDL manuals in the main section
only if they have no invariant sections (and cover text count as
invariant sections).


I assume that removing the requirement that the manual is distributed
with cover texts is unlikely to happen, for this reason I am suggesting
instead that you consider dual-licensing, as in gettext.

Thanks.