Re: [Savannah-hackers-public] Re: [Savannah-register-public] project approval

[Mario Castelan Castro]

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2011-02-25 in address@hidden,
address@hidden thread "project approval".

Hello.

Thanks for asking before submitting the project.  And thanks to Alex and
Karl too.

Alex Fernandez <address@hidden> writes:
> Hi LynX,
>
> On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 10:51 PM, LynX <address@hidden> wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have a little question, and would be grateful if you answer me. I want to
>> submit following project:
>>
>> PropertiesWindow is a command-line program which shows Windows "File
>> Properties" dialog box for specified file or directory.
>> This program can be used as a part of extensions for GNU Emacs Win32 dired
>> mode.
>> Written on C++ using WinAPI
>>
>> As you can see this program works only on Windows and it did not comply with
>> "My project runs primarily on a completely free OS". But I provide it with
>> aim to be used like extension of dired in Gnu Emacs on Windows.
>>
>> So my question is, can I submit it or not?

Please note than the item in the check-list "My project runs primarily
on a completely free OS" is just a specific instance of our general
requirement for the software to deliver its full functionality on a
completely free platform.  Please see
https://savannah.gnu.org/register/requirements.php.

GNU Savannah mission is to promote free software and a fully free
enviroment, not proprietary software.  Free software which only runs or
only makes sense for a proprietary system clearly has no place in a
fully free system, and hence, has no place in GNU Savannah.  See our
hosting requirements just linked above for details.


I also want to point an imporant difference between PropertiesWindow and
the common general use free software for Windows only:

Free software whose features are desirable on themselves but which only
runs with proprietary software clearly promotes the use of proprietary
software.  Take 7-Zip as an instance.

Free software with proprietary dependencies for proprietary systems
whose features are only usefull for the proprietary system in question
might or might not induce new users for the proprietary system.

I don't know what Windows' "File proprietary" are, and I'm not curious
about.  If they're something intrinsic to Windows then PropertiesWindow
probaly falls in the former category.

Code generally usefull can be found in free software for proprietary
systems.  The process of extracting it by making a general purpose
library or porting to GNU/Linux is a contribution to a fully free
enviroment; hence we could host such a project.  LZMA and XZ utils are
an example, they use code from 7-Zip as far as I know.  A project of
this kind can be hosted at GNU Savannah.

All other variables being equal, if someone is going to create software
it can't be wrong to make it free software.  I will always invite
programmers and other developers to respect the freedoms of their users
by using a free licensing.

I'm glad and grateful to see you released PropertiesWindow as free
software.

However, if resources (Human effort, hard disk space, bandwidth, etc...)
are going to be put on software, let that software be one which
contributes and fits in a really free informatic universe.


> I am not a legal expert, but I would think that this is a case that
> can be considered based on principles. Given that Emacs is universally
> held to be a quasi-OS, perhaps a special provision can be made.

As per the above note, whether GNU Emacs is or isn't an OS is irrelevant
to this issue.

Regardless of this issue; is of my personal opinion than we should never
make exceptions (Equivalently, "special provision[s]") to our policies.
If there is ever the need to make an exception there is something wrong
with them; either a rule is generally wrong or the absence of a
*general* provision for uncommon cases is the source for the apparent
need of the exception.  The appropriate procedure would be to fix the
error (Change the policy) rather than to make an exception.

> I am copying the Savannah hackers list so we can get an authoritative
> answer over there.
>
>> Binary and src of it you can find on
>> http://savannah.gnu.org/submissions_uploads/PropertiesWindow.tar.gz
>>
>> Thank you,
>> LX
>>
>> P.S. Also I have written another program which displays list of Windows hard
>> drives and it also for Gnu Emacs on Windows.
>
> I suppose the same consideration could hold here.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alex.
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