[Groff] License information in source files

[Bernd Warken]

Dealing with license stuff, is quite boring.  But once it is done for
one file it can just be copied to similar files.  The approach of this
email is to provide a license information to all files.

I tried to avoid mathematical formulations, but that wasn't totally
possible.  I hope that this will not hurt too many tender souls.

1) I propose to add the following section to the documentation files
that exist in the source, but are not installed, such as README* and
TODO.  It should go to the end of the file in order to not disturb the
information.


########## start of non-installed file
...

### License

This is the ... file for `groff...'.
File position: <groff-source>/...
Last update: 15 dec 2003

Copyright (C) 2001,2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Written by ....

This file is part of the free software project `groff'.  It is
licensed under the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL).  For a copy
of the license text and license related information, see the files
COPYING and LICENSE at the top directory of the groff source package.

########## end of non-installed file


2) In source files that are not installed such as Makefile* or C/C++
code, the same could be added with the suitable comment signs.  But
the license section should go at the beginning of the file.


3) The license in installed files cannot refer to the COPYING and
LICENSE files of the source.  This applies to the option --version of
the binaries, and readable installed file such as shell scripts or man
pages.  They will be treated in a different mail.


4) The ChangeLog file has a lot of trouble when adding license
information.  So I propose to add the license section as the oldest
ChangeLog entry.  This is put at the end of the file.

To avoid the need to fill in the year of each ChangeLog entry to the
Copyright section, I added a paragraph that should do this
automatically.  Unfortunately, this is in mathematical style.  I would
be glad if it would be possible to rewrite this in a nobler way.


########## start of ChangeLog
...
2001-01-01 <author>

        * License for this file
        
        * ChangeLog file for `groffer'
        File position: <groff-source>/contrib/groffer/ChangeLog

        This file is part of the free software project `groff'.  It is
        licensed under the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL).  For
        details on the GPL version and other license related
        information, see the files LICENSE and COPYING at the top
        directory of the groff source package.

        * Copyright (C) 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
        Written by ...

        Many entries will be added to this file.  Each entry starts
        with the date of its file changement.  All of these entry
        years are additional years for the copyright, but will not be
        written explicitly to the Copyright line.

########## end of ChangeLog


Bernd Warken <address@hidden>