Re: python.el

[Dave Love]

Glenn Morris <address@hidden> writes:

> Maybe this message is meant for some specific recipients who will
> already know what this is about.

I explained it to rms, but he wouldn't do anything bug reports without
patches.  I doubt anyone else can say anything useful unless they're
privy to legal advice, but I haven't been asked for details.  Why are
you querying this?  Can you give legal advice?

> If not, please could you explain in more detail what you mean?

There are potential problems due to my previous employer with things I
wrote until I left in April 2006.  I'm contractually obliged to inform
the FSF about that, whether or not I consider it spurious or actually
care about GNU.

> The python.el in CVS Emacs is the one you submitted to
> gnu-emacs-sources here:

?? It's clearly substantially different.  The original surely won't
even work in the development Emacs.

> Another fix:
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-pretest-bug/2005-03/msg00441.html

How could that be a copyright issue?  I didn't supply any code, on
purpose.

> The only other sizable change from you for python.el seems to be
> from 2006-08-20. I can't find any mail about this. Is this one the
> problem?

There's a changelog entry from then with my name on it, but it isn't
mine, which should be a concern anyway.  Some or all of that addition
is problematic and I haven't checked any subsequent changes.  I'm
asking why it and anything else was grabbed and put in without
consulting me and whether it's clear there's no problem.

(It's pretty annoying to have the code forked and then have people
complain to me about bugs, but I'm sure I won't get anywhere on that.)

> There are two long threads about python.el from August 2006 that start
> here and here:
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2006-08/msg00353.html
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2006-08/msg00758.html

I haven't read them; are they relevant?

> Here are some assignment-related comments from Ken Manheimer:
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2006-08/msg00753.html

I don't think that's necessary -- see the python.el commentary, which
he obviously hasn't read.  However, my original compilation mode
support was broken by subsequently changes in the development Emacs,
and I gave up trying to track the general breakage to python.el some
time ago.  Perhaps it no longer works, unlike the Emacs 21 version I
use.  Anyhow, that's a side issue that I don't suppose people are
interested in hearing about.

python.el was done partly because we couldn't get an assignment for
python-mode.el and because the maintainers wouldn't accept
Emacs-specific fixes.  I wouldn't have written more if I thought it
was going to be pulled in with potential legal problems.