On Feb 9, 2010, at 12:44 AM, Dr. David Kirkby wrote:
From reading the GPL, it would appear that Sage should print more
information than it currently does when it starts.
Specifically
1) State the program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY when it
starts up in command line mode
2) Should display the fact the program is GPL if used in a browser,
and indicate how the user can see a full copy of the license.
Currently when run in a browser, there is no information about the
GPL at all.
Section 2 says:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The way I read this is that if you take a program that used to print
out the license information, you're not allowed to omit such
information in a modified version. The rest is just suggestions.
I strongly dislike huge banners (especially ones full of all caps,
legalese, and political statements) and I think the current banner is
good enough--license() gives you the whole thing.
If run from a browser, which is clearly a normal way of using Sage,
there is no statement at all that the program is GPL at the minute.
Looking at
http://t2nb.math.washington.edu:8000/
I can see
* No indication whatsoever the program is GPL
* No information it is free
* No information about how to see the license.
For all an end-user knows, this could be a propriety program.
The "splash screen" does have a big blub about Open Source. I agree
there should be something, I personally think that a line "Sage is
released under the [http://localhost:8000/GPL.txt | GPL]." would be
good enough.
- Robert
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