[DS-discuss] Re: A nice guide to Debian GNU/Linux

[Ganesh Swami]

Hello,

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003, Ramanan Selvaratnam wrote:

> 
> >demo @schools couldnt definitely use the stuff bcoz it
> >is licensed under gpl
> >
> Why is GPL a problem?
> 
> Before the invent of GFDL it was common to use GPL for documentation.
> I would personally prefer the GFDL here  as it is specifically made for 
> protecting documentation but do not see why GPL is such problem.
> 


        The GPL is a 'problem' because the license does not require you to
credit the original author. This does not fit very well with the
traditional sense of plagiarism. 

        Hence, the GFDL.

        IIRC, Debian considers the GFDL not to be Free Enough, because
it requires you _not_ to remove the original contributors names.

        I Am Not A Lawyer, but I don't see how the license affects the
USAGE of the document. It only matters when you have to make changes,
then IMHO its simpler to send the diffs to the original project rather
than forking it.


        cheers,
        Ganesh

[....]

-- 
Ganesh Swami
http://www.iamganesh.com