> -----Original Message----- > From: Alec Thomas [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 02 July 2005 14:56 > To: General Discusson about Arch Linux > Subject: Re: [arch] License field in PKGBUILDs > > On Sat, Jul 02, 2005 at 12:13:06PM +0200, Hugo Ideler wrote: > > You can't blame the users for using the field. The presence of the > > 'license' field in PKBUILD.proto from abs suggests it has to be filled > > in. It totally makes no sense to have this field if you're not supposed > > to fill it in. > > > > And therefore I consistently started using in license="GPL" in most of > > my PKGBUILDS. Nowhere did it say I was doing something against 'the > > rules'. > > Particularly when the makepkg man page has this to say: > > license > Sets the license type (eg, "GPL", "BSD", "NON- > FREE"). (Note: This option is still in develop- > ment and may change in the future) > > :)
I think everyone would readily admit the current usage description is vague - that is the point of this thread if anyone hasn't noticed. However, until the AUR opened the odd usage of the license field wasn't an issue. Now, as I have clearly laid out before, we face a situation where there are 5 new PKGBUILDs a day and say roughly 3 use a field the final usage of which has not been decided - that means in a month we get 90 PKGBUILDs that may need to have that field changed at some point in the future. To me it's as simple as having it blank is not as bad as having the wrong thing in there. Further I agree that in the cases where people are just putting "GPL" or "BSD" maybe it isn't so bad but licensing is not so simple in all cases. The more people use the field, the more people will think it needs to be filled and we risk seeing all sorts of things in there. This is just going to leave a mess someone will have to clear up. Is that a clear and reasonable enough argument? Whether the users are to blame or not doesn't change the current situation or the potential problems, which is all I am trying to address. > > > As a user I've yet to see any form of packaging guidelines. If you want > > users to follow this stuff, start making it easy for them... > > > > Best regards, > > > > > > Hugo > > > > _______________________________________________ > > arch mailing list > > arch@archlinux.org > > http://www.archlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/arch > > > > -- > Evolution: Taking care of those too stupid to take care of themselves. > > _______________________________________________ > arch mailing list > arch@archlinux.org > http://www.archlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/arch > _______________________________________________ arch mailing list arch@archlinux.org http://www.archlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/arch
