[GNU-linux-libre] snprintf license

[Sam Geeraerts]

Hi Mark,

I'm a contributor to the gNewSense project [1], a GNU/Linux
distribution aiming to comply with the FSF's free system distribution
guidelines [2].

I came across your snprintf code in several of our packages. I would
like to clarify the license situation of this code with you. In
snprintf 2.2, the header of snprintf.c says:

"This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the "Frontier Artistic License" which comes
with this Kit."

The revision history section a bit further says for "V2.0 (never
released)":

"relaxed license terms: The Artistic License now applies. You may still
apply the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE as was distributed with previous
versions, if you prefer;"

The credits array says:

"@(#)snprintf.c, v2.2: Copyright 1999, Mark Martinec. Frontier Artistic
License applies."

And your webpage [3] says:

'This program is free software; it is dual licensed, the terms of the
"Frontier Artistic License" or the "GNU General Public License" can be
chosen at your discretion. The chosen license then applies solely and
in its entirety. Both licenses come with this Kit.'

Version 2.2 has a LICENSE.txt containing the Frontier Artistic License,
but I can't find the GPL text.

The FSF considers the Artistic License 1.0 (and hence the practically
identical Frontier Artistic License) non-free, so their guidelines
don't allow such code in distributions. GPL code is ok, of course. We
would like to keep using your useful code in our distribution. Do you
still allow snprintf to be published under the GPL?

Please keep the gnu-linux-libre mailing list in Cc in your response so
that we have a public reference about this.

[1] http://www.gnewsense.org/
[2] http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html
[3] http://www.ijs.si/software/snprintf/

Kind regards,
Sam Geeraerts