Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:12:25 +0200 From: Kurt Jaeger <lists@opsec.eu> To: Bob Eager <rde@tavi.co.uk> Cc: ports@freeBSD.org Subject: Re: LICENSE documentation Message-ID: <20160914081225.GK85563@home.opsec.eu> In-Reply-To: <20160914081915.72e9cf14@raksha.tavi.co.uk> References: <20160914081915.72e9cf14@raksha.tavi.co.uk>
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Hi! > I recently had a minor patch (to one of the ports I maintain) bounced > because I hadn't specified a LICENSE. > > This port never did have LICENSE, and it had been updated recently with > no issues. However, I was told that "I don't see any mention of any > kind of license in the package or on the site, so it should be > LICENSE= NONE. Note that without clear licensing terms it's impossible > to legally use and redistribute the code." > > (I did erroneously interpret that, initially, to be saying that there > MUST be a real license specified, although I realise from the above > that NONE is acceptable (and presumably meets the criteria for "clear > licensing terms")). Even the "NONE" is in discussion, if it should be UNDEFINED or UNKNOWN or... > Let me make it absolutely clear that I am not criticising or > questioning the committers; they are just doing their job. > > However, I wonder if two things ought to be done: > > 1) There should be something in the Porter's Handbook about LICENSE. > There is little or none, merely material about licensing in a more > general sense. I would produce an update myself, but given the above, I > am probably not the best person! There are two text drafts in discussion, some of them for a long time: https://reviews.freebsd.org/D56 https://reviews.freebsd.org/D7849 > 2) portlint currently says: "WARN: Makefile: Consider defining LICENSE. > 0 fatal errors and 1 warning found." This is not really correct if > LICENSE is mandatory. Yes, that's unfortunate 8-} -- pi@opsec.eu +49 171 3101372 4 years to go !
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