1 \input texinfo.tex @c -*-texinfo-*-
3 @setfilename maintain.info
4 @settitle Information for Maintainers of GNU Software
5 @c For double-sided printing, uncomment:
6 @c @setchapternewpage odd
7 @c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
8 @set lastupdate October 8, 2010
11 @dircategory GNU organization
13 * Maintaining: (maintain). Maintaining GNU software.
16 @setchapternewpage off
18 @c Put everything in one index (arbitrarily chosen to be the concept index).
23 Information for maintainers of GNU software, last updated @value{lastupdate}.
25 Copyright @copyright{} 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
26 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software
30 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
31 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
32 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
33 Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
34 Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
35 ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
40 @title Information for Maintainers of GNU Software
41 @author Richard Stallman
42 @author last updated @value{lastupdate}
44 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
60 * Getting a GNU Account::
62 * Recruiting Developers::
70 * Ethical and Philosophical Consideration::
73 * Free Software Directory::
74 * Using the Proofreaders List::
75 * GNU Free Documentation License::
81 @chapter About This Document
83 This file contains guidelines and advice for someone who is the
84 maintainer of a GNU program on behalf of the GNU Project. Everyone is
85 entitled to change and redistribute GNU software; you need not pay
86 attention to this file to get permission. But if you want to maintain
87 a version for widespread distribution, we suggest you follow these
88 guidelines. If you are or would like to be a GNU maintainer, then it
89 is essential to follow these guidelines.
91 In addition to this document, please read and follow the GNU Coding
92 Standards (@pxref{Top, , Contents, standards, GNU Coding Standards}).
94 @cindex @code{bug-standards@@gnu.org} email address
95 @cindex Savannah repository for gnustandards
96 @cindex gnustandards project repository
97 Please send corrections or suggestions for this document to
98 @email{bug-standards@@gnu.org}. If you make a suggestion, please
99 include suggested new wording if you can. We prefer a context diff to
100 the Texinfo source, but if that's difficult for you, you can make a
101 diff for some other version of this document, or propose it in any way
102 that makes it clear. The source repository for this document can be
103 found at @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnustandards}.
105 @cindex @code{gnustandards-commit@@gnu.org} mailing list
106 If you want to receive diffs for every change to these GNU documents,
107 join the mailing list @code{gnustandards-commit@@gnu.org}, for
108 instance via the web interface at
109 @url{http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnustandards-commit}.
110 Archives are also available there.
112 @cindex Piercy, Marge
113 This document uses the gender-neutral third-person pronouns ``person'',
114 ``per'', ``pers'' and ``perself'' which were promoted, and perhaps
115 invented, by Marge Piercy in @cite{Woman on the Edge of Time}. They are
116 used just like ``she'', ``her'', ``hers'' and ``herself'', except that
117 they apply equally to males and females. For example, ``Person placed
118 per new program under the GNU GPL, to let the public benefit from per
119 work, and to enable per to feel person has done the right thing.''
121 This release of the GNU Maintainer Information was last updated
126 @chapter Getting Help
127 @cindex help, getting
129 @cindex @code{mentors@@gnu.org} mailing list
130 If you have general questions or encounter a situation where it isn't
131 clear what to do, you can ask @email{mentors@@gnu.org}, which is a
132 list of a few experienced GNU contributors who have offered to answer
133 questions for new maintainers.
135 @cindex advisory committee
136 The GNU Advisory Committee helps to coordinate activities in the GNU
137 project on behalf of RMS (Richard Stallman, the Chief GNUisance). If
138 you have any organizational questions or concerns you can contact the
139 committee at @email{gnu-advisory@@gnu.org}. See
140 @url{http://www.gnu.org/contact/gnu-advisory.html} for the current
141 committee members. Additional information is in
142 @file{/gd/gnuorg/advisory}.
146 @node Getting a GNU Account
147 @chapter Getting a GNU Account
148 @cindex shell account, on fencepost
149 @cindex @code{fencepost.gnu.org} GNU machine
151 @c We want to repeat this text later, so define a macro.
153 The directory @file{/gd/gnuorg} mentioned throughout this document is
154 available on the general GNU server, currently
155 @code{fencepost.gnu.org}. If you are the maintainer of a GNU package,
156 you should have an account there. If you don't have one already,
157 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/README.accounts.html}. You can also
158 ask for accounts for people who significantly help you in working on
164 @cindex down, when GNU machines are
165 @cindex outage, of GNU machines
166 @cindex @url{http://identi.ca/group/fsfstatus}
167 If you find that any GNU computer systems (@code{fencepost.gnu.org},
168 @code{ftp.gnu.org}, @code{www.gnu.org}, @code{savannah.gnu.org},
169 @dots{}) seem to be down, you can check the current status at
170 @url{http://identi.ca/group/fsfstatus}. Most likely the problem, if
171 it can be alleviated at the FSF end, is already being worked on.
175 @chapter Stepping Down
176 @cindex stepping down as maintainer
177 @cindex resigning as maintainer
179 With good fortune, you will continue maintaining your package for many
180 decades. But sometimes for various reasons maintainers decide to step
183 If you're the official maintainer of a GNU package and you decide to
184 step down, please inform the GNU Project (@email{maintainers@@gnu.org}).
185 We need to know that the package no longer has a maintainer, so we can
186 look for and appoint a new maintainer.
188 @cindex @email{maintainers@@gnu.org}
189 If you have an idea for who should take over, please tell
190 @email{maintainers@@gnu.org} your suggestion. The appointment of a new
191 maintainer needs the GNU Project's confirmation, but your judgment that
192 a person is capable of doing the job will carry a lot of weight.
194 As your final act as maintainer, it would be helpful to set up the
195 package under @code{savannah.gnu.org} if it is not there already
196 (@pxref{Old Versions}). This will make it much easier for the new
197 maintainer to pick up where you left off and will ensure that the
198 source tree is not misplaced if it takes us a while to find a new
202 @node Recruiting Developers
203 @chapter Recruiting Developers
205 Unless your package is a fairly small, you probably won't do all the
206 work on it yourself. Most maintainers recruit other developers to help.
208 Sometimes people will offer to help. Some of them will be capable,
209 while others will not. It's up to you to determine who provides useful
210 help, and encourage those people to participate more.
212 Some of the people who offer to help will support the GNU Project, while
213 others may be interested for other reasons. Some will support the goals
214 of the Free Software Movement, but some may not. They are all welcome
215 to help with the work---we don't ask people's views or motivations
216 before they contribute to GNU packages.
218 As a consequence, you cannot expect all contributors to support the GNU
219 Project, or to have a concern for its policies and standards. So part
220 of your job as maintainer is to exercise your authority on these points
221 when they arise. No matter how much of the work other people do, you
222 are in charge of what goes in the release. When a crucial point arises,
223 you should calmly state your decision and stick to it.
225 Sometimes a package has several co-maintainers who share the role of
226 maintainer. Unlike developers who help, co-maintainers have actually
227 been appointed jointly as the maintainers of the package, and they carry
228 out the maintainer's functions together. If you would like to propose
229 some of your developers as co-maintainers, please contact
230 @email{maintainers@@gnu.org}.
232 We're happy to acknowledge all major contributors to GNU packages on
233 the @url{http://www.gnu.org/people/people.html} web page. Please send
234 an entry for yourself to @email{webmasters@@gnu.org}, and feel free to
235 suggest it to other significant developers on your package.
239 @chapter Legal Matters
240 @cindex legal matters
242 This chapter describes procedures you should follow for legal reasons
243 as you maintain the program, to avoid legal difficulties.
247 * Legally Significant::
248 * Recording Contributors::
249 * Copying from Other Packages::
250 * Copyright Notices::
252 * External Libraries::
255 @node Copyright Papers
256 @section Copyright Papers
257 @cindex copyright papers
259 If you maintain an FSF-copyrighted package
260 certain legal procedures are required when incorporating legally significant
261 changes written by other people. This ensures that the FSF has the
262 legal right to distribute the package, and the standing to defend its
263 GPL-covered status in court if necessary.
265 @strong{Before} incorporating significant changes, make sure that the
266 person who wrote the changes has signed copyright papers and that the
267 Free Software Foundation has received and signed them. We may also need
268 an employer's disclaimer from the person's employer.
270 @cindex data base of GNU copyright assignments
271 To check whether papers have been received, look in
272 @file{/gd/gnuorg/copyright.list}. If you can't look there directly,
273 @email{fsf-records@@gnu.org} can check for you. Our clerk can also
274 check for papers that are waiting to be entered and inform you when
275 expected papers arrive.
277 @cindex @file{/gd/gnuorg} directory
278 @c This paragraph intentionally duplicates information given
279 @c near the beginning of the file--to make sure people don't miss it.
282 In order for the contributor to know person should sign papers, you need
283 to ask per for the necessary papers. If you don't know per well, and you
284 don't know that person is used to our ways of handling copyright papers,
285 then it might be a good idea to raise the subject with a message like
289 Would you be willing to assign the copyright to the Free Software
290 Foundation, so that we could install it in @var{program}?
297 Would you be willing to sign a copyright disclaimer to put this change
298 in the public domain, so that we can install it in @var{program}?
301 If the contributor then wants more information, you can send per the file
302 @file{/gd/gnuorg/conditions.text}, which explains per options (assign
303 vs.@: disclaim) and their consequences.
305 Once the conversation is under way and the contributor is ready for
306 more details, you should send one of the templates that are found in
307 the directory @file{/gd/gnuorg/Copyright/}; they are also available
308 from the @file{doc/Copyright/} directory of the @code{gnulib} project
309 at @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnulib}. This section
310 explains which templates you should use in which circumstances.
311 @strong{Please don't use any of the templates except for those listed
312 here, and please don't change the wording.}
314 Once the conversation is under way, you can send the contributor the
315 precise wording and instructions by email. Before you do this, make
316 sure to get the current version of the template you will use! We change
317 these templates occasionally---don't keep using an old version.
319 For large changes, ask the contributor for an assignment. Send per a
320 copy of the file @file{request-assign.changes}. (Like all the
321 @samp{request-} files, it is in @file{/gd/gnuorg/Copyright} and in
324 For medium to small changes, request a personal disclaimer by sending
325 per the file @file{request-disclaim.changes}.
327 If the contributor is likely to keep making changes, person might want
328 to sign an assignment for all per future changes to the program. So it
329 is useful to offer per that alternative. If person wants to do it that
330 way, send per the @file{request-assign.future}.
332 When you send a @file{request-} file, you don't need to fill in anything
333 before sending it. Just send the file verbatim to the contributor. The
334 file gives per instructions for how to ask the FSF to mail per the
335 papers to sign. The @file{request-} file also raises the issue of
336 getting an employer's disclaimer from the contributor's employer.
338 When the contributor emails the form to the FSF, the FSF sends per
339 papers to sign. If person signs them right away, the whole process
340 takes a couple of weeks---mostly waiting for letters to go back and
343 For less common cases, we have template files you should send to the
344 contributor. Be sure to fill in the name of the person and the name
345 of the program in these templates, where it says @samp{NAME OF PERSON}
346 and @samp{NAME OF PROGRAM}, before sending; otherwise person might
347 sign without noticing them, and the papers would be useless. Note
348 that in some templates there is more than one place to put the name of
349 the program or the name of the person; be sure to change all of them.
350 All the templates raise the issue of an employer's disclaimer as well.
352 @cindex legal papers for changes in manuals
353 You do not need to ask for separate papers for a manual that is
354 distributed only in the software package it describes. But if we
355 sometimes distribute the manual separately (for instance, if we publish
356 it as a book), then we need separate legal papers for changes in the
357 manual. For smaller changes, use
358 @file{disclaim.changes.manual}; for larger ones, use
359 @file{assign.changes.manual}. To cover both past and future
360 changes to a manual, you can use @file{assign.future.manual}.
361 For a translation of a manual, use @file{assign.translation.manual}.
363 For translations of program strings (as used by GNU Gettext, for
364 example; @pxref{Internationalization,,,standards,GNU Coding
365 Standards}), use @file{disclaim.translation}. If you make use of the
366 Translation Project (@url{http://translationproject.org}) facilities,
367 please check with the TP coordinators that they have sent the
368 contributor the papers; if they haven't, then you should send the
369 papers. In any case, you should wait for the confirmation from the
370 FSF that the signed papers have been received and accepted before
371 integrating the new contributor's material, as usual.
373 If a contributor is reluctant to sign an assignment for a large change,
374 and is willing to sign a disclaimer instead, that is acceptable, so you
375 should offer this alternative if it helps you reach agreement. We
376 prefer an assignment for a larger change, so that we can enforce the GNU
377 GPL for the new text, but a disclaimer is enough to let us use the text.
379 If you maintain a collection of programs, occasionally someone will
380 contribute an entire separate program or manual that should be added to
381 the collection. Then you can use the files
382 @file{request-assign.program}, @file{disclaim.program},
383 @file{assign.manual}, and @file{disclaim.manual}. We very much prefer
384 an assignment for a new separate program or manual, unless it is quite
385 small, but a disclaimer is acceptable if the contributor insists on
386 handling the matter that way.
388 If a contributor wants the FSF to publish only a pseudonym, that is
389 ok. The contributor should say this, and state the desired pseudonym,
390 when answering the @file{request-} form. The actual legal papers will
391 use the real name, but the FSF will publish only the pseudonym. When
392 using one of the other forms, fill in the real name but ask the
393 contributor to discuss the use of a pseudonym with
394 @email{assign@@gnu.org} before sending back the signed form.
396 @strong{Although there are other templates besides the ones listed here,
397 they are for special circumstances; please do not use them without
398 getting advice from @email{assign@@gnu.org}.}
400 If you are not sure what to do, then please ask @email{assign@@gnu.org} for
401 advice; if the contributor asks you questions about the meaning and
402 consequences of the legal papers, and you don't know the answers, you
403 can forward them to @email{assign@@gnu.org} and we will answer.
405 @strong{Please do not try changing the wording of a template yourself.
406 If you think a change is needed, please talk with @email{assign@@gnu.org},
407 and we will work with a lawyer to decide what to do.}
409 @node Legally Significant
410 @section Legally Significant Changes
412 If a person contributes more than around 15 lines of code and/or text
413 that is legally significant for copyright purposes, we
414 need copyright papers for that contribution, as described above.
416 A change of just a few lines (less than 15 or so) is not legally
417 significant for copyright. A regular series of repeated changes, such
418 as renaming a symbol, is not legally significant even if the symbol
419 has to be renamed in many places. Keep in mind, however, that a
420 series of minor changes by the same person can add up to a significant
421 contribution. What counts is the total contribution of the person; it
422 is irrelevant which parts of it were contributed when.
424 Copyright does not cover ideas. If someone contributes ideas but no
425 text, these ideas may be morally significant as contributions, and
426 worth giving credit for, but they are not significant for copyright
427 purposes. Likewise, bug reports do not count for copyright purposes.
429 When giving credit to people whose contributions are not legally
430 significant for copyright purposes, be careful to make that fact
431 clear. The credit should clearly say they did not contribute
432 significant code or text.
434 When people's contributions are not legally significant because they
435 did not write code, do this by stating clearly what their contribution
436 was. For instance, you could write this:
441 * Richard Mlynarik <mly@@adoc.xerox.com> (1997)
442 * Masatake Yamato <masata-y@@is.aist-nara.ac.jp> (1999)
447 @code{Ideas by:} makes it clear that Mlynarik and Yamato here
448 contributed only ideas, not code. Without the @code{Ideas by:} note,
449 several years from now we would find it hard to be sure whether they
450 had contributed code, and we might have to track them down and ask
453 When you record a small patch in a change log file, first search for
454 previous changes by the same person, and see if per past
455 contributions, plus the new one, add up to something legally
456 significant. If so, you should get copyright papers for all per
457 changes before you install the new change.
459 If that is not so, you can install the small patch. Write @samp{(tiny
460 change)} after the patch author's name, like this:
463 2002-11-04 Robert Fenk <Robert.Fenk@@gmx.de> (tiny change)
466 @node Recording Contributors
467 @section Recording Contributors
468 @cindex recording contributors
470 @strong{Keep correct records of which portions were written by whom.}
471 This is very important. These records should say which files or
472 parts of files were written by each person, and which files or
473 parts of files were revised by each person. This should include
474 installation scripts as well as manuals and documentation
477 These records don't need to be as detailed as a change log. They
478 don't need to distinguish work done at different times, only different
479 people. They don't need describe changes in more detail than which
480 files or parts of a file were changed. And they don't need to say
481 anything about the function or purpose of a file or change---the
482 Register of Copyrights doesn't care what the text does, just who wrote
483 or contributed to which parts.
485 The list should also mention if certain files distributed in the same
486 package are really a separate program.
488 Only the contributions that are legally significant for copyright
489 purposes (@pxref{Legally Significant}) need to be listed. Small
490 contributions, bug reports, ideas, etc., can be omitted.
492 For example, this would describe an early version of GAS:
495 Dean Elsner first version of all files except gdb-lines.c and m68k.c.
496 Jay Fenlason entire files gdb-lines.c and m68k.c, most of app.c,
497 plus extensive changes in messages.c, input-file.c, write.c
498 and revisions elsewhere.
500 Note: GAS is distributed with the files obstack.c and obstack.h, but
501 they are considered a separate package, not part of GAS proper.
504 @cindex @file{AUTHORS} file
505 Please keep these records in a file named @file{AUTHORS} in the source
506 directory for the program itself.
508 You can use the change log as the basis for these records, if you
509 wish. Just make sure to record the correct author for each change
510 (the person who wrote the change, @emph{not} the person who installed
511 it), and add @samp{(tiny change)} for those changes that are too
512 trivial to matter for copyright purposes. Later on you can update the
513 @file{AUTHORS} file from the change log. This can even be done
514 automatically, if you are careful about the formatting of the change
517 @node Copying from Other Packages
518 @section Copying from Other Packages
520 When you copy legally significant code from another free software
521 package with a GPL-compatible license, you should look in the
522 package's records to find out the authors of the part you are copying,
523 and list them as the contributors of the code that you copied. If all
524 you did was copy it, not write it, then for copyright purposes you are
525 @emph{not} one of the contributors of @emph{this} code.
527 Especially when code has been released into the public domain, authors
528 sometimes fail to write a license statement in each file. In this
529 case, please first be sure that all the authors of the code have
530 disclaimed copyright interest. Then, when copying the new files into
531 your project, add a brief note at the beginning of the files recording
532 the authors, the public domain status, and anything else relevant.
534 On the other hand, when merging some public domain code into an
535 existing file covered by the GPL (or LGPL or other free software
536 license), there is no reason to indicate the pieces which are public
537 domain. The notice saying that the whole file is under the GPL (or
538 other license) is legally sufficient.
540 Using code that is released under a GPL-compatible free license,
541 rather than being in the public domain, may require preserving
542 copyright notices or other steps. Of course, you should do what is
545 If you are maintaining an FSF-copyrighted package, please verify we
546 have papers for the code you are copying, @emph{before} copying it.
547 If you are copying from another FSF-copyrighted package, then we
548 presumably have papers for that package's own code, but you must check
549 whether the code you are copying is part of an external library; if
550 that is the case, we don't have papers for it, so you should not copy
551 it. It can't hurt in any case to double-check with the developer of
554 When you are copying code for which we do not already have papers, you
555 need to get papers for it. It may be difficult to get the papers if
556 the code was not written as a contribution to your package, but that
557 doesn't mean it is ok to do without them. If you cannot get papers
558 for the code, you can only use it as an external library
559 (@pxref{External Libraries}).
562 @node Copyright Notices
563 @section Copyright Notices
564 @cindex copyright notices in program files
566 You should maintain a proper copyright notice and a license
567 notice in each nontrivial file in the package. (Any file more than ten
568 lines long is nontrivial for this purpose.) This includes header files
569 and interface definitions for
570 building or running the program, documentation files, and any supporting
571 files. If a file has been explicitly placed in the public domain, then
572 instead of a copyright notice, it should have a notice saying explicitly
573 that it is in the public domain.
575 Even image files and sound files should contain copyright notices and
576 license notices, if their format permits. Some formats do not have
577 room for textual annotations; for these files, state the copyright and
578 copying permissions in a @file{README} file in the same directory.
580 Change log files should have a copyright notice and license notice at
581 the end, since new material is added at the beginning but the end
584 When a file is automatically generated from some other file in the
585 distribution, it is useful for the automatic procedure to copy the
586 copyright notice and permission notice of the file it is generated
587 from, if possible. Alternatively, put a notice at the beginning saying
588 which file it is generated from.
590 A copyright notice looks like this:
593 Copyright (C) @var{year1}, @var{year2}, @var{year3} @var{copyright-holder}
596 The word @samp{Copyright} must always be in English, by international
599 The @var{copyright-holder} may be the Free Software Foundation, Inc., or
600 someone else; you should know who is the copyright holder for your
603 Replace the @samp{(C)} with a C-in-a-circle symbol if it is available.
604 For example, use @samp{@@copyright@{@}} in a Texinfo file. However,
605 stick with parenthesized @samp{C} unless you know that C-in-a-circle
606 will work. For example, a program's standard @option{--version}
607 message should use parenthesized @samp{C} by default, though message
608 translations may use C-in-a-circle in locales where that symbol is
609 known to work. Alternatively, the @samp{(C)} or C-in-a-circle can be
610 omitted entirely; the word @samp{Copyright} suffices.
612 To update the list of year numbers, add each year in which you have
613 made nontrivial changes to the package. (Here we assume you're using
614 a publicly accessible revision control server, so that every revision
615 installed is also immediately and automatically published.) When you
616 add the new year, it is not required to keep track of which files have
617 seen significant changes in the new year and which have not. It is
618 recommended and simpler to add the new year to all files in the
619 package, and be done with it for the rest of the year.
621 Don't delete old year numbers, though; they are significant since they
622 indicate when older versions might theoretically go into the public
623 domain, if the movie companies don't continue buying laws to further
624 extend copyright. If you copy a file into the package from some other
625 program, keep the copyright years that come with the file.
627 Do not abbreviate the year list using a range; for instance, do not
628 write @samp{1996--1998}; instead, write @samp{1996, 1997, 1998}.
630 For files which are regularly copied from another project (such as
631 @samp{gnulib}), leave the copyright notice as it is in the original.
633 The copyright statement may be split across multiple lines, both in
634 source files and in any generated output. This often happens for
635 files with a long history, having many different years of
638 For an FSF-copyrighted package, if you have followed the procedures to
639 obtain legal papers, each file should have just one copyright holder:
640 the Free Software Foundation, Inc. You should edit the file's
641 copyright notice to list that name and only that name.
643 But if contributors are not all assigning their copyrights to a single
644 copyright holder, it can easily happen that one file has several
645 copyright holders. Each contributor of nontrivial text is a copyright
648 In that case, you should always include a copyright notice in the name
649 of main copyright holder of the file. You can also include copyright
650 notices for other copyright holders as well, and this is a good idea
651 for those who have contributed a large amount and for those who
652 specifically ask for notices in their names. (Sometimes the license
653 on code that you copy in may require preserving certain copyright
654 notices.) But you don't have to include a notice for everyone who
655 contributed to the file (which would be rather inconvenient).
657 Sometimes a program has an overall copyright notice that refers to the
658 whole program. It might be in the @file{README} file, or it might be
659 displayed when the program starts up. This copyright notice should
660 mention the year of completion of the most recent major version; it
661 can mention years of completion of previous major versions, but that
665 @node License Notices
666 @section License Notices
667 @cindex license notices in program files
669 Every nontrivial file needs a license notice as well as the copyright
670 notice. (Without a license notice giving permission to copy and
671 change the file, the file is non-free.)
673 The package itself should contain a full copy of GPL in plain text
674 (conventionally in a file named @file{COPYING}) and the GNU Free
675 Documentation License (included within your documentation, so there is
676 no need for a separate plain text version). If the package contains
677 any files distributed under the Lesser GPL, it should contain a full
678 copy of its plain text version also (conventionally in a file named
679 @file{COPYING.LESSER}).
681 If you have questions about license issues for your GNU package,
682 please write @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
685 * Source: Canonical License Sources.
686 * Code: License Notices for Code.
687 * Documentation: License Notices for Documentation.
688 * Other: License Notices for Other Files.
692 @node Canonical License Sources
693 @subsection Canonical License Sources
695 You can get the official versions of these files from several places.
696 You can use whichever is the most convenient for you.
700 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/}.
703 The @code{gnulib} project on @code{savannah.gnu.org}, which you
704 can access via anonymous Git or CVS. See
705 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnulib}.
709 The official Texinfo sources for the licenses are also available in
710 those same places, so you can include them in your documentation. A
711 GFDL-covered manual should include the GFDL in this way. @xref{GNU
712 Sample Texts,,,texinfo,Texinfo}, for a full example in a Texinfo
716 @node License Notices for Code
717 @subsection License Notices for Code
719 Typically the license notice for program files (including build scripts,
720 configure files and makefiles) should cite the GPL, like this:
723 This file is part of GNU @var{program}.
725 GNU @var{program} is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
726 modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
727 published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
728 License, or (at your option) any later version.
730 GNU @var{program} is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
731 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
732 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
733 GNU General Public License for more details.
735 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
736 along with this program. If not, see @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/}.
739 But in a small program which is just a few files, you can use
743 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
744 it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
745 the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
746 (at your option) any later version.
748 This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
749 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
750 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
751 GNU General Public License for more details.
753 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
754 along with this program. If not, see @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/}.
758 @node License Notices for Documentation
759 @subsection License Notices for Documentation
761 Documentation files should have license notices also. Manuals should
762 use the GNU Free Documentation License. Following is an example of the
763 license notice to use after the copyright line(s) using all the
764 features of the GFDL.
767 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
768 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
769 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
770 Invariant Sections being ``GNU General Public License'', with the
771 Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts
772 as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section
773 entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
775 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to
776 copy and modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF
777 supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
780 If the FSF does not publish this manual on paper, then omit the last
781 sentence in (a) that talks about copies from GNU Press. If the FSF is
782 not the copyright holder, then replace @samp{FSF} with the appropriate
785 Please adjust the list of invariant sections as appropriate for your
786 manual. If there are none, then say ``with no Invariant Sections''.
787 If your manual is not published by the FSF, and under 400 pages, you
788 can omit both cover texts.
790 @xref{GNU Sample Texts,,,texinfo,Texinfo}, for a full example in a
791 Texinfo manual, and see
792 @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl-howto.html} for more advice about
793 how to use the GNU FDL.
795 If the manual is over 400 pages, or if the FSF thinks it might be a
796 good choice for publishing on paper, then please include the GNU GPL,
797 as in the notice above. Please also include our standard invariant
798 section which explains the importance of free documentation. Write to
799 @email{assign@@gnu.org} to get a copy of this section.
801 When you distribute several manuals together in one software package,
802 their on-line forms can share a single copy of the GFDL (see
803 section@tie{}6). However, the printed (@samp{.dvi}, @samp{.pdf},
804 @dots{}) forms should each contain a copy of the GFDL, unless they are
805 set up to be printed and published only together. Therefore, it is
806 usually simplest to include the GFDL in each manual.
809 @node License Notices for Other Files
810 @subsection License Notices for Other Files
812 Small supporting files, short manuals (under 300 lines long) and rough
813 documentation (@file{README} files, @file{INSTALL} files, etc.)@: can
814 use a simple all-permissive license like this one:
817 Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification,
818 are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright
819 notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is,
820 without any warranty.
823 Older versions of this license did not have the second sentence with
824 the express warranty disclaimer. There is no urgent need to update
825 existing files, but new files should use the new text.
827 If your package distributes Autoconf macros that are intended to be
828 used (hence distributed) by third-party packages under possibly
829 incompatible licenses, you may also use the above all-permissive
830 license for these macros.
833 @node External Libraries
834 @section External Libraries
836 When maintaining an FSF-copyrighted GNU package, you may occasionally
837 want to use a general-purpose free software module which offers a
838 useful functionality, as a ``library'' facility (though the module is
839 not always packaged technically as a library).
841 In a case like this, it would be unreasonable to ask the author of that
842 module to assign the copyright to the FSF. After all, person did not
843 write it specifically as a contribution to your package, so it would be
844 impertinent to ask per, out of the blue, ``Please give the FSF your
847 So the thing to do in this case is to make your program use the module,
848 but not consider it a part of your program. There are two reasonable
849 methods of doing this:
853 Assume the module is already installed on the system, and use it when
854 linking your program. This is only reasonable if the module really has
855 the form of a library.
858 Include the module in your package, putting the source in a separate
859 subdirectory whose @file{README} file says, ``This is not part of the
860 GNU FOO program, but is used with GNU FOO.'' Then set up your makefiles
861 to build this module and link it into the executable.
863 For this method, it is not necessary to treat the module as a library
864 and make a @samp{.a} file from it. You can link with the @samp{.o}
865 files directly in the usual manner.
868 Both of these methods create an irregularity, and our lawyers have told
869 us to minimize the amount of such irregularity. So consider using these
870 methods only for general-purpose modules that were written for other
871 programs and released separately for general use. For anything that was
872 written as a contribution to your package, please get papers signed.
876 @chapter Cleaning Up Changes
877 @cindex contributions, accepting
878 @cindex quality of changes suggested by others
880 Don't feel obligated to include every change that someone asks you to
881 include. You must judge which changes are improvements---partly based
882 on what you think the users will like, and partly based on your own
883 judgment of what is better. If you think a change is not good, you
886 If someone sends you changes which are useful, but written in an ugly
887 way or hard to understand and maintain in the future, don't hesitate to
888 ask per to clean up their changes before you merge them. Since the
889 amount of work we can do is limited, the more we convince others to help
890 us work efficiently, the faster GNU will advance.
892 If the contributor will not or can not make the changes clean enough,
893 then it is legitimate to say ``I can't install this in its present form;
894 I can only do so if you clean it up.'' Invite per to distribute per
895 changes another way, or to find other people to make them clean enough
896 for you to install and maintain.
898 The only reason to do these cleanups yourself is if (1) it is easy, less
899 work than telling the author what to clean up, or (2) the change is an
900 important one, important enough to be worth the work of cleaning it up.
902 The GNU Coding Standards are a good thing to send people when you ask
903 them to clean up changes (@pxref{Top, , Contents, standards, GNU Coding
904 Standards}). The Emacs Lisp manual contains an appendix that gives
905 coding standards for Emacs Lisp programs; it is good to urge Lisp authors to
906 read it (@pxref{Tips, , Tips and Conventions, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
911 @chapter Platforms to Support
913 Most GNU packages run on a wide range of platforms. These platforms are
914 not equally important.
916 The most important platforms for a GNU package to support are GNU and
917 GNU/Linux. Developing the GNU operating system is the whole point of
918 the GNU Project; a GNU package exists to make the whole GNU system more
919 powerful. So please keep that goal in mind and let it shape your work.
920 For instance, every new feature you add should work on GNU, and
921 GNU/Linux if possible too. If a new feature only runs on GNU and
922 GNU/Linux, it could still be acceptable. However, a feature that runs
923 only on other systems and not on GNU or GNU/Linux makes no sense in a
926 You will naturally want to keep the program running on all the platforms
927 it supports. But you personally will not have access to most of these
928 platforms---so how should you do it?
930 Don't worry about trying to get access to all of these platforms. Even
931 if you did have access to all the platforms, it would be inefficient for
932 you to test the program on each platform yourself. Instead, you should
933 test the program on a few platforms, including GNU or GNU/Linux, and let
934 the users test it on the other platforms. You can do this through a
935 pretest phase before the real release; when there is no reason to expect
936 problems, in a package that is mostly portable, you can just make a
937 release and let the users tell you if anything unportable was
940 It is important to test the program personally on GNU or GNU/Linux,
941 because these are the most important platforms for a GNU package. If
942 you don't have access to one of these platforms, as a GNU maintainer
943 you can get access to the general GNU login machine; see
944 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/README.accounts.html}.
946 Supporting other platforms is optional---we do it when that seems like
947 a good idea, but we don't consider it obligatory. If the users don't
948 take care of a certain platform, you may have to desupport it unless
949 and until users come forward to help. Conversely, if a user offers
950 changes to support an additional platform, you will probably want to
951 install them, but you don't have to. If you feel the changes are
952 complex and ugly, if you think that they will increase the burden of
953 future maintenance, you can and should reject them. This includes
954 both free or mainly-free platforms such as OpenBSD, FreeBSD, and
955 NetBSD, and non-free platforms such as Windows.
959 @chapter Dealing With Mail
962 This chapter describes setting up mailing lists for your package, and
963 gives advice on how to handle bug reports and random requests once you
967 * Standard Mailing Lists:: @samp{bug-pkg@@gnu.org} and other standard names.
968 * Creating Mailing Lists:: The best way is to use Savannah.
969 * Replying to Mail:: Advice on replying to incoming mail.
973 @node Standard Mailing Lists
974 @section Standard Mailing Lists
976 @cindex standard mailing lists
977 @cindex mailing lists, standard names of
979 @cindex mailing list for bug reports
980 Once a program is in use, you will get bug reports for it. Most GNU
981 programs have their own special lists for sending bug reports. The
982 advertised bug-reporting email address should always be
983 @samp{bug-@var{program}@@gnu.org}, to help show users that the program
984 is a GNU package, but it is ok to set up that list to forward to another
985 site if you prefer. The package distribution should state the
986 name of the bug-reporting list in a prominent place, and ask users to
987 help us by reporting bugs there.
989 @cindex @email{bug-gnu-utils@@gnu.org}
990 We also have a catch-all list, @email{bug-gnu-utils@@gnu.org}, which is
991 used for all GNU programs that don't have their own specific lists. But
992 nowadays we want to give each program its own bug-reporting list and
993 move away from using @email{bug-gnu-utils}.
995 @cindex help for users, mailing list for
996 Some GNU programs with many users have another mailing list,
997 @samp{help-@var{program}.org}, for people to ask other users for help.
998 If your program has many users, you should create such a list for it.
999 For a fairly new program, which doesn't have a large user base yet, it
1000 is better not to bother with this.
1002 @cindex announcements, mailing list for
1003 If you wish, you can also have a mailing list
1004 @samp{info-@var{program}} for announcements (@pxref{Announcements}),
1005 and any others you find useful.
1008 @node Creating Mailing Lists
1009 @section Creating Mailing Lists
1011 @cindex creating mailing lists
1012 @cindex mailing lists, creating
1014 Using the web interface on @code{savannah.gnu.org} is by far the
1015 easiest way to create normal mailing lists, managed through Mailman on
1016 the GNU mail server. Once you register your package on Savannah, you
1017 can create (and remove) lists yourself through the `Mailing Lists'
1018 menu, without needing to wait for intervention by anyone else.
1019 Furthermore, lists created through Savannah will have a reasonable
1020 default configuration for antispam purposes (see below).
1022 To create and maintain simple aliases and unmanaged lists, you can
1023 edit @file{/com/mailer/aliases} on the main GNU server. If you don't
1024 have an account there, please read
1025 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/README.accounts.html} (@pxref{Getting
1028 But if you don't want to learn how to do those things, you can
1029 alternatively ask @email{alias-file@@gnu.org} to add you to the
1030 bug-reporting list for your program. To set up a new list, contact
1031 @email{new-mailing-list@@gnu.org}. You can subscribe to a list managed
1032 by Mailman by sending mail to the corresponding @samp{-request} address.
1034 @cindex spam prevention
1035 You should moderate postings from non-subscribed addresses on your
1036 mailing lists, to prevent propagation of unwanted messages (``spam'')
1037 to subscribers and to the list archives. For lists controlled by
1038 Mailman, you can do this by setting @code{Privacy Options - Sender
1039 Filter - generic_nonmember_action} to @code{Hold}, and then
1040 periodically (daily is best) reviewing the held messages, accepting
1041 the real ones and discarding the junk.
1043 Lists created through Savannah will have this setting, and a number of
1044 others, such that spam will be automatically deleted (after a short
1045 delay). The Savannah mailing list page describes all the details.
1046 You should still review the held messages in order to approve any that
1050 @node Replying to Mail
1051 @section Replying to Mail
1053 @cindex responding to bug reports
1054 @cindex bug reports, handling
1055 @cindex help requests, handling
1057 When you receive bug reports, keep in mind that bug reports are crucial
1058 for your work. If you don't know about problems, you cannot fix them.
1059 So always thank each person who sends a bug report.
1061 You don't have an obligation to give more response than that, though.
1062 The main purpose of bug reports is to help you contribute to the
1063 community by improving the next version of the program. Many of the
1064 people who report bugs don't realize this---they think that the point is
1065 for you to help them individually. Some will ask you to focus on that
1066 @emph{instead of} on making the program better. If you comply with
1067 their wishes, you will have been distracted from the job of maintaining
1070 For example, people sometimes report a bug in a vague (and therefore
1071 useless) way, and when you ask for more information, they say, ``I just
1072 wanted to see if you already knew the solution'' (in which case the bug
1073 report would do nothing to help improve the program). When this
1074 happens, you should explain to them the real purpose of bug reports. (A
1075 canned explanation will make this more efficient.)
1077 When people ask you to put your time into helping them use the program,
1078 it may seem ``helpful'' to do what they ask. But it is much @emph{less}
1079 helpful than improving the program, which is the maintainer's real job.
1081 By all means help individual users when you feel like it, if you feel
1082 you have the time available. But be careful to limit the amount of time
1083 you spend doing this---don't let it eat away the time you need to
1084 maintain the program! Know how to say no; when you are pressed for
1085 time, just ``thanks for the bug report---I will fix it'' is enough
1088 Some GNU packages, such as Emacs and GCC, come with advice about how
1089 to make bug reports useful. Copying and adapting that could be very
1090 useful for your package.
1094 @chapter Recording Old Versions
1095 @cindex version control
1097 It is very important to keep backup files of all source files of GNU.
1098 You can do this using a source control system (such as RCS, CVS, Git,
1099 @dots{}) if you like. The easiest way to use RCS or CVS is via the
1100 Version Control library in Emacs (@pxref{VC Concepts,, Concepts of
1101 Version Control, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
1103 The history of previous revisions and log entries is very important for
1104 future maintainers of the package, so even if you do not make it
1105 publicly accessible, be careful not to put anything in the repository or
1106 change log that you would not want to hand over to another maintainer
1109 @cindex @code{savannah-hackers@@gnu.org}
1110 The GNU Project provides a server that GNU software packages can use
1111 for source control and other package needs: @code{savannah.gnu.org}.
1112 You don't have to use this repository, but if you plan to allow public
1113 read-only access to your development sources, it is convenient for
1114 people to be able to find various GNU packages in a central place.
1115 Savannah is managed by @email{savannah-hackers@@gnu.org}.
1117 All GNU maintainers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of
1118 Savannah, as sharing such a central point can serve to foster a sense
1119 of community among GNU developers and help in keeping up with project
1122 @cindex @code{savannah-announce@@gnu.org} mailing list
1123 If you do use Savannah, please subscribe to the
1124 @email{savannah-announce@@gnu.org} mailing list
1125 (@url{http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/savannah-announce}). This
1126 is a very low-volume list to keep Savannah users informed of system
1127 upgrades, problems, and the like.
1131 @chapter Distributions
1133 It is important to follow the GNU conventions when making GNU software
1137 * Distribution tar Files::
1138 * Distribution Patches::
1139 * Distribution on ftp.gnu.org::
1141 * Automated FTP Uploads::
1145 @node Distribution tar Files
1146 @section Distribution tar Files
1147 @cindex distribution, tar files
1149 The tar file for version @var{m}.@var{n} of program @code{foo} should be
1150 named @file{foo-@var{m}.@var{n}.tar}. It should unpack into a
1151 subdirectory named @file{foo-@var{m}.@var{n}}. Tar files should not
1152 unpack into files in the current directory, because this is inconvenient
1153 if the user happens to unpack into a directory with other files in it.
1155 Here is how the @file{Makefile} for Bison creates the tar file.
1156 This method is good for other programs.
1160 echo bison-`sed -e '/version_string/!d' \
1161 -e 's/[^0-9.]*\([0-9.]*\).*/\1/' -e q version.c` > .fname
1162 -rm -rf `cat .fname`
1164 dst=`cat .fname`; for f in $(DISTFILES); do \
1165 ln $(srcdir)/$$f $$dst/$$f || @{ echo copying $$f; \
1166 cp -p $(srcdir)/$$f $$dst/$$f ; @} \
1168 tar --gzip -chf `cat .fname`.tar.gz `cat .fname`
1169 -rm -rf `cat .fname` .fname
1172 Source files that are symbolic links to other file systems cannot be
1173 installed in the temporary directory using @code{ln}, so use @code{cp}
1177 Using Automake is a good way to take care of writing the @code{dist}
1180 @node Distribution Patches
1181 @section Distribution Patches
1182 @cindex patches, against previous releases
1184 If the program is large, it is useful to make a set of diffs for each
1185 release, against the previous important release.
1187 At the front of the set of diffs, put a short explanation of which
1188 version this is for and which previous version it is relative to.
1189 Also explain what else people need to do to update the sources
1190 properly (for example, delete or rename certain files before
1191 installing the diffs).
1193 The purpose of having diffs is that they are small. To keep them
1194 small, exclude files that the user can easily update. For example,
1195 exclude info files, DVI files, tags tables, output files of Bison or
1196 Flex. In Emacs diffs, we exclude compiled Lisp files, leaving it up
1197 to the installer to recompile the patched sources.
1199 When you make the diffs, each version should be in a directory suitably
1200 named---for example, @file{gcc-2.3.2} and @file{gcc-2.3.3}. This way,
1201 it will be very clear from the diffs themselves which version is which.
1205 @cindex time stamp in diffs
1206 If you use GNU @code{diff} to make the patch, use the options
1207 @samp{-rc2P}. That will put any new files into the output as ``entirely
1208 different.'' Also, the patch's context diff headers should have dates
1209 and times in Universal Time using traditional Unix format, so that patch
1210 recipients can use GNU @code{patch}'s @samp{-Z} option. For example,
1211 you could use the following Bourne shell command to create the patch:
1214 LC_ALL=C TZ=UTC0 diff -rc2P gcc-2.3.2 gcc-2.3.3 | \
1215 gzip -9 >gcc-2.3.2-2.3.3.patch.gz
1218 If the distribution has subdirectories in it, then the diffs probably
1219 include some files in the subdirectories. To help users install such
1220 patches reliably, give them precise directions for how to run patch.
1221 For example, say this:
1224 To apply these patches, cd to the main directory of the program
1225 and then use `patch -p1'. `-p1' avoids guesswork in choosing
1226 which subdirectory to find each file in.
1229 It's wise to test your patch by applying it to a copy of the old
1230 version, and checking that the result exactly matches the new version.
1232 @node Distribution on ftp.gnu.org
1233 @section Distribution on @code{ftp.gnu.org}
1234 @cindex GNU ftp site
1235 @cindex @code{ftp.gnu.org}, the GNU release site
1237 GNU packages are distributed through the directory @file{/gnu} on
1238 @code{ftp.gnu.org}, via both HTTP and FTP. Each package should have a
1239 subdirectory named after the package, and all the distribution files
1240 for the package should go in that subdirectory.
1242 @c If you have an interest in seeing the monthly download logs from the FTP
1243 @c site at @code{ftp.gnu.org} for your program, that is something that
1244 @c @email{ftp-upload@@gnu.org} can set up for you. Please contact them if
1245 @c you are interested.
1247 @xref{Automated FTP Uploads}, for procedural details of putting new
1248 versions on @code{ftp.gnu.org}.
1251 @section Test Releases
1252 @cindex test releases
1253 @cindex beta releases
1254 @cindex pretest releases
1256 @cindex @code{alpha.gnu.org}, test release site
1257 When you release a greatly changed new major version of a program, you
1258 might want to do so as a pretest. This means that you make a tar file,
1259 but send it only to a group of volunteers that you have recruited. (Use
1260 a suitable GNU mailing list/newsgroup to recruit them.)
1262 We normally use the server @code{alpha.gnu.org} for pretests and
1263 prerelease versions. @xref{Automated FTP Uploads}, for procedural details
1264 of putting new versions on @code{alpha.gnu.org}.
1266 Once a program gets to be widely used and people expect it to work
1267 solidly, it is a good idea to do pretest releases before each ``real''
1270 There are two ways of handling version numbers for pretest versions.
1271 One method is to treat them as versions preceding the release you are going
1274 In this method, if you are about to release version 4.6 but you want
1275 to do a pretest first, call it 4.5.90. If you need a second pretest,
1276 call it 4.5.91, and so on. If you are really unlucky and ten pretests
1277 are not enough, after 4.5.99 you could advance to 4.5.990 and so on.
1278 (You could also use 4.5.100, but 990 has the advantage of sorting in
1281 The other method is to attach a date to the release number that is
1282 coming. For a pretest for version 4.6, made on Dec 10, 2002, this
1283 would be 4.6.20021210. A second pretest made the same day could be
1286 For development snapshots that are not formal pretests, using just
1287 the date without the version numbers is ok too.
1289 One thing that you should never do is to release a pretest with the same
1290 version number as the planned real release. Many people will look only
1291 at the version number (in the tar file name, in the directory name that
1292 it unpacks into, or wherever they can find it) to determine whether a
1293 tar file is the latest version. People might look at the test release
1294 in this way and mistake it for the real release. Therefore, always
1295 change the number when you release changed code.
1298 @node Automated FTP Uploads
1299 @section Automated FTP Uploads
1301 @cindex ftp uploads, automated
1302 In order to upload new releases to @code{ftp.gnu.org} or
1303 @code{alpha.gnu.org}, you first need to register the necessary
1304 information. Then, you can perform uploads yourself, with no
1305 intervention needed by the system administrators.
1307 The general idea is that releases should be crytographically signed
1308 before they are made publicly available.
1311 * Automated Upload Registration::
1312 * Automated Upload Procedure::
1313 * FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1::
1314 * FTP Upload Directive File - v1.0::
1318 @node Automated Upload Registration
1319 @subsection Automated Upload Registration
1321 @cindex registration for uploads
1322 @cindex uploads, registration for
1324 Here is how to register your information so you can perform uploads
1325 for your GNU package:
1330 Create an account for yourself at @url{http://savannah.gnu.org}, if
1331 you don't already have one. By the way, this is also needed to
1332 maintain the web pages at @url{http://www.gnu.org} for your project
1333 (@pxref{Web Pages}).
1336 In the @samp{My Account Conf} page on @code{savannah}, upload the GPG
1337 key you will use to sign your packages.
1339 You can create a key with the command @code{gpg --gen-key}. It is
1340 good to also send your key to the GPG public key server: @code{gpg
1341 --keyserver keys.gnupg.net --send-keys @var{keyid}}, where @var{keyid}
1342 is the eight hex digits reported by @code{gpg --list-public-keys} on
1343 the @code{pub} line before the date. For full information about GPG,
1344 see @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/gpg})
1347 Compose a message with the following items in some @var{msgfile}.
1348 Then GPG-sign it by running @code{gpg --clearsign @var{msgfile}}, and
1349 finally email the resulting @file{@var{msgfile}.asc}), to
1350 @email{ftp-upload@@gnu.org}.
1354 Name of package(s) that you are the maintainer for, and your
1355 preferred email address.
1358 An ASCII armored copy of your GnuPG key, as an attachment. (@samp{gpg
1359 --export -a @var{your_key_id} >mykey.asc} should give you this.)
1362 A list of names and preferred email addresses of other individuals you
1363 authorize to make releases for which packages, if any (in the case that you
1364 don't make all releases yourself).
1367 ASCII armored copies of GnuPG keys for any individuals listed in (3).
1371 The administrators will acknowledge your message when they have added
1372 the proper GPG keys as authorized to upload files for the
1373 corresponding packages.
1375 The upload system will email receipts to the given email addresses
1376 when an upload is made, either successfully or unsuccessfully.
1379 @node Automated Upload Procedure
1380 @subsection Automated Upload Procedure
1384 Once you have registered your information as described in the previous
1385 section, you will be able to do ftp uploads for yourself using the
1386 following procedure.
1388 For each upload destined for @code{ftp.gnu.org} or
1389 @code{alpha.gnu.org}, three files (a @dfn{triplet}) need to be
1390 uploaded via ftp to the host @code{ftp-upload.gnu.org}.
1394 The file to be distributed; for example, @file{foo.tar.gz}.
1397 Detached GPG binary signature file for (1); for example,
1398 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig}. Make this with @samp{gpg -b foo.tar.gz}.
1401 A clearsigned @dfn{directive file}; for example,
1402 @file{foo.tar.gz.directive.asc}. Make this by preparing the plain
1403 text file @file{foo.tar.gz.directive} and then run @samp{gpg
1404 --clearsign foo.tar.gz.directive}. @xref{FTP Upload Directive File -
1405 v1.1}, for the contents of the directive file.
1408 The names of the files are important. The signature file must have the
1409 same name as the file to be distributed, with an additional
1410 @file{.sig} extension. The directive file must have the same name as
1411 the file to be distributed, with an additional @file{.directive.asc}
1412 extension. If you do not follow this naming convention, the upload
1413 @emph{will not be processed}.
1415 Since v1.1 of the upload script, it is also possible to upload a
1416 clearsigned directive file on its own (no accompanying @file{.sig} or
1417 any other file) to perform certain operations on the server.
1418 @xref{FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1}, for more information.
1420 Upload the file(s) via anonymous ftp to @code{ftp-upload.gnu.org}. If
1421 the upload is destined for @code{ftp.gnu.org}, place the file(s) in
1422 the @file{/incoming/ftp} directory. If the upload is destined for
1423 @code{alpha.gnu.org}, place the file(s) in the @file{/incoming/alpha}
1426 Uploads are processed every five minutes. Uploads that are in
1427 progress while the upload processing script is running are handled
1428 properly, so do not worry about the timing of your upload. Uploaded
1429 files that belong to an incomplete triplet are deleted automatically
1432 Your designated upload email addresses (@pxref{Automated Upload Registration})
1433 are sent a message if there are any problems processing an upload for your
1434 package. You also receive a message when your upload has been successfully
1437 One automated way to create and transfer the necessary files is to use
1438 the @code{gnupload} script, which is available from the
1439 @file{build-aux/} directory of the @code{gnulib} project at
1440 @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnulib}. @code{gnupload} can
1441 also remove uploaded files. Run @code{gnupload --help} for a
1442 description and examples.
1444 @code{gnupload} uses the @code{ncftpput} program to do the actual
1445 transfers; if you don't happen to have the @code{ncftp} package
1446 installed, the @code{ncftpput-ftp} script in the @file{build-aux/}
1447 directory of @code{gnulib} serves as a replacement which uses plain
1448 command line @code{ftp}.
1450 If you have difficulties with an upload, email
1451 @email{ftp-upload@@gnu.org}.
1454 @node FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1
1455 @subsection FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1
1457 The directive file name must end in @file{directive.asc}.
1459 When part of a triplet, the directive file must always contain the
1460 directives @code{version}, @code{directory} and @code{filename}, as
1461 described. In addition, a 'comment' directive is allowed.
1463 The @code{version} directive must always have the value @samp{1.1}.
1465 The @code{directory} directive specifies the final destination
1466 directory where the uploaded file and its @file{.sig} companion are to
1469 The @code{filename} directive must contain the name of the file to be
1470 distributed (item@tie{}(1) above).
1472 For example, as part of an uploaded triplet, a
1473 @file{foo.tar.gz.directive.asc} file might contain these lines (before
1474 being gpg clearsigned):
1479 filename: foo.tar.gz
1480 comment: hello world!
1483 This directory line indicates that @file{foo.tar.gz} and
1484 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} are part of package @code{bar}. If you uploaded
1485 this triplet to @file{/incoming/ftp} and the system positively
1486 authenticates the signatures, the files @file{foo.tar.gz} and
1487 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} will be placed in the directory
1488 @file{gnu/bar/v1} of the @code{ftp.gnu.org} site.
1490 The directive file can be used to create currently non-existent
1491 directory trees, as long as they are under the package directory for
1492 your package (in the example above, that is @code{bar}).
1494 If you upload a file that already exists in the FTP directory, the
1495 original will simply be archived and replaced with the new upload.
1497 @subheading Standalone directives
1499 When uploaded by itself, the directive file must contain one or more
1500 of the directives @code{symlink}, @code{rmsymlink} or @code{archive},
1501 in addition to the obligatory @code{directory} and @code{version}
1502 directives. A @code{filename} directive is not allowed, and a
1503 @code{comment} directive remains optional.
1505 If you use more than one directive, the directives are executed in the
1506 sequence they are specified in. If a directive results in an error,
1507 further execution of the upload is aborted.
1509 Removing a symbolic link (with @code{rmsymlink}) which does not exist
1510 results in an error. However, attempting to create a symbolic link
1511 that already exists (with @code{symlink}) is not an error. In this
1512 case @code{symlink} behaves like the command @command{ln -s -f}: any
1513 existing symlink is removed before creating the link. (But an
1514 existing regular file or directory is not removed.)
1516 Here are a few examples. The first removes a symlink:
1521 rmsymlink: foo-latest.tgz
1522 comment: remove a symlink
1526 Archive an old file, taking it offline:
1531 archive: foo-1.1.tar.gz
1532 comment: archive an old file; it will not be
1533 comment: available through FTP any more.
1537 Archive an old directory (with all contents), taking it offline:
1543 comment: archive an old directory; it and its entire
1544 comment: contents will not be available through FTP anymore
1548 Create a new symlink:
1553 symlink: foo-1.2.tar.gz foo-latest.tgz
1554 comment: create a new symlink
1558 Do everything at once:
1563 rmsymlink: foo-latest.tgz
1564 symlink: foo-1.2.tar.gz foo-latest.tgz
1565 archive: foo-1.1.tar.gz
1566 comment: now do everything at once
1570 @node FTP Upload Directive File - v1.0
1571 @subsection FTP Upload Directive File - v1.0
1573 @dfn{As of June 2006, the upload script is running in compatibility
1574 mode, allowing uploads with either version@tie{}1.1 or
1575 version@tie{}1.0 of the directive file syntax. Support for v1.0
1576 uploads will be phased out by the end of 2006, so please upgrade
1579 The directive file should contain one line, excluding the clearsigned
1580 data GPG that inserts, which specifies the final destination directory
1581 where items (1) and (2) are to be placed.
1583 For example, the @file{foo.tar.gz.directive.asc} file might contain the
1590 This directory line indicates that @file{foo.tar.gz} and
1591 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} are part of package @code{bar}. If you were to
1592 upload the triplet to @file{/incoming/ftp}, and the system can
1593 positively authenticate the signatures, then the files
1594 @file{foo.tar.gz} and @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} will be placed in the
1595 directory @file{gnu/bar/v1} of the @code{ftp.gnu.org} site.
1597 The directive file can be used to create currently non-existent
1598 directory trees, as long as they are under the package directory for
1599 your package (in the example above, that is @code{bar}).
1603 @section Announcing Releases
1604 @cindex announcements
1606 @cindex @code{info-gnu} mailing list
1607 When you have a new release, please make an announcement. For
1608 official new releases, including those made just to fix bugs, we
1609 strongly recommend using the (moderated) general GNU announcements
1610 list, @email{info-gnu@@gnu.org}. Doing so makes it easier for users
1611 and developers to find the latest GNU releases. On the other hand,
1612 please do not announce test releases on @code{info-gnu} unless it's a
1613 highly unusual situation.
1615 @cindex @url{http://planet.gnu.org}
1616 @cindex Savannah, news area
1617 Please also post release announcements in the news section of your
1618 Savannah project site. Here, it is fine to also write news entries
1619 for test releases and any other newsworthy events. The news feeds
1620 from all GNU projects at savannah are aggregated at
1621 @url{http://planet.gnu.org} (GNU Planet). You can also post items
1622 directly, or arrange for feeds from other locations; see information
1623 on the GNU Planet web page.
1625 @cindex announcement mailing list, project-specific
1626 You can maintain your own mailing list (typically
1627 @email{info-@var{program}@@gnu.org}) for announcements as well if you
1628 like. For your own list, of course you decide as you see fit what
1629 events are worth announcing. (@xref{Mail}, for setting this up, and
1630 more suggestions on handling mail for your package.)
1632 @cindex contents of announcements
1633 When writing an announcement, please include the following:
1637 A very brief description (a few sentences at most) of the general
1638 purpose of your package.
1641 Your package's web page (normally
1642 @indicateurl{http://www.gnu.org/software/@var{package}/}).
1645 Your package's download location (normally
1646 @indicateurl{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/@var{package}/}). It is also
1647 useful to mention the mirror list at
1648 @url{http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html}, and that
1649 @url{http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/@var{package/}} will automatically
1650 redirect to a nearby mirror.
1653 The NEWS (@pxref{NEWS File,,, standards, GNU Coding Standards}) for
1654 the present release.
1662 Please write web pages about your package, and install them on
1663 @code{www.gnu.org}. They should follow our usual standards for web
1664 pages (see @url{http://www.gnu.org/server/@/fsf-html-style-sheet.html}).
1665 The overall goals are to support a wide variety of browsers, to focus
1666 on information rather than flashy eye candy, and to keep the site
1669 We encourage you to use the standard @code{www.gnu.org} template as
1670 the basis for your pages:
1671 @url{http://www.gnu.org/server/@/standards/@/boilerplate-source.html}.
1673 Some GNU packages have just simple web pages, but the more information
1674 you provide, the better. So please write as much as you usefully can,
1675 and put all of it on @code{www.gnu.org}. However, pages that access
1676 databases (including mail archives and bug tracking) are an exception;
1677 set them up on whatever site is convenient for you, and make the pages
1678 on @code{www.gnu.org} link to that site.
1681 * Hosting for Web Pages::
1682 * Freedom for Web Pages::
1683 * Manuals on Web Pages::
1684 * CVS Keywords in Web Pages::
1688 @node Hosting for Web Pages
1689 @section Hosting for Web Pages
1691 The best way to maintain the web pages for your project is to register
1692 the project on @code{savannah.gnu.org}. Then you can edit the pages
1693 using CVS, using the separate ``web repository'' available on
1694 Savannah, which corresponds to
1695 @indicateurl{http://www.gnu.org/software/@var{package}/}. You can
1696 keep your source files there too (using any of a variety of version
1697 control systems), but you can use @code{savannah.gnu.org} only for
1698 your gnu.org web pages if you wish; simply register a ``web-only''
1701 If you don't want to use that method, please talk with
1702 @email{webmasters@@gnu.org} about other possible methods. For
1703 instance, you can mail them pages to install, if necessary. But that
1704 is more work for them, so please use Savannah if you can.
1706 If you use Savannah, you can use a special file named @file{.symlinks}
1707 in order to create symbolic links, which are not supported in CVS.
1709 @url{http://www.gnu.org/server/standards/README.webmastering.html#symlinks}.
1712 @node Freedom for Web Pages
1713 @section Freedom for Web Pages
1715 If you use a site other than @code{www.gnu.org}, please make sure that
1716 the site runs on free software alone. (It is ok if the site uses
1717 unreleased custom software, since that is free in a trivial sense:
1718 there's only one user and it has the four freedoms.) If the web site
1719 for a GNU package runs on non-free software, the public will see this,
1720 and it will have the effect of granting legitimacy to the non-free
1723 If you use multiple sites, they should all follow that criterion.
1724 Please don't link to a site that is about your package, which the
1725 public might perceive as connected with it and reflecting the position
1726 of its developers, unless it follows that criterion.
1728 Historically, web pages for GNU packages did not include GIF images,
1729 because of patent problems (@pxref{Ethical and Philosophical
1730 Consideration}). Although the GIF patents expired in 2006, using GIF
1731 images is still not recommended, as the PNG and JPEG formats are
1732 generally superior. See @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/gif.html}.
1735 @node Manuals on Web Pages
1736 @section Manuals on Web Pages
1738 The web pages for the package should include its manuals, in HTML,
1739 DVI, Info, PostScript, PDF, plain ASCII, and Texinfo format (source).
1740 All of these can be generated automatically from the Texinfo source
1741 using Makeinfo and other programs.
1743 When there is only one manual, put it in a subdirectory called
1744 @file{manual}; the file @file{manual/index.html} should have a link to
1745 the manual in each of its forms.
1747 If the package has more than one manual, put each one in a
1748 subdirectory of @file{manual}, set up @file{index.html} in each
1749 subdirectory to link to that manual in all its forms, and make
1750 @file{manual/index.html} link to each manual through its subdirectory.
1752 See the section below for details on a script to make the job of
1753 creating all these different formats and index pages easier.
1755 We would like to list all GNU manuals on the page
1756 @url{http://www.gnu.org/manual}, so if yours isn't there, please send
1757 mail to @code{webmasters@@gnu.org}, asking them to add yours, and they
1758 will do so based on the contents of your @file{manual} directory.
1761 * Invoking gendocs.sh::
1765 @node Invoking gendocs.sh
1766 @subsection Invoking @command{gendocs.sh}
1768 @cindex generating documentation output
1770 The script @command{gendocs.sh} eases the task of generating the
1771 Texinfo documentation output for your web pages
1772 section above. It has a companion template file, used as the basis
1773 for the HTML index pages. Both are available from the Texinfo CVS
1777 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/texinfo/texinfo/util/gendocs.sh}
1778 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/texinfo/texinfo/util/gendocs_template}
1781 There is also a minimalistic template, available from:
1784 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/texinfo/texinfo/util/gendocs_template_min}
1787 Invoke the script like this, in the directory containing the Texinfo
1791 gendocs.sh --email @var{yourbuglist} @var{yourmanual} "GNU @var{yourmanual} manual"
1794 @noindent where @var{yourmanual} is the short name for your package
1795 and @var{yourbuglist} is the email address for bug reports (typically
1796 @code{bug-@var{package}@@gnu.org}). The script processes the file
1797 @file{@var{yourmanual}.texinfo} (or @file{.texi} or @file{.txi}). For
1802 # download gendocs.sh and gendocs_template
1803 gendocs.sh --email bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org emacs "GNU Emacs manual"
1806 @command{gendocs.sh} creates a subdirectory @file{manual/} containing
1807 the manual generated in all the standard output formats: Info, HTML,
1808 DVI, and so on, as well as the Texinfo source. You then need to move
1809 all those files, retaining the subdirectories, into the web pages for
1812 You can specify the option @option{-o @var{outdir}} to override the
1813 name @file{manual}. Any previous contents of @var{outdir} will be deleted.
1815 The second argument, with the description, is included as part of the
1816 HTML @code{<title>} of the overall @file{manual/index.html} file. It
1817 should include the name of the package being documented, as shown.
1818 @file{manual/index.html} is created by substitution from the file
1819 @file{gendocs_template}. (Feel free to modify the generic template
1820 for your own purposes.)
1822 If you have several manuals, you'll need to run this script several
1823 times with different arguments, specifying a different output
1824 directory with @option{-o} each time, and moving all the output to
1825 your web page. Then write (by hand) an overall index.html with links
1826 to them all. For example:
1830 gendocs.sh --email bug-texinfo@@gnu.org -o texinfo texinfo "GNU Texinfo manual"
1831 gendocs.sh --email bug-texinfo@@gnu.org -o info info "GNU Info manual"
1832 gendocs.sh --email bug-texinfo@@gnu.org -o info-stnd info-stnd "GNU info-stnd manual"
1835 By default, the script uses @command{makeinfo} for generating
1836 @acronym{HTML} output. If you prefer to use @command{texi2html}, use
1837 the @option{--texi2html} command line option, e.g.:
1840 gendocs --texi2html -o texinfo texinfo "GNU Texinfo manual"
1843 The template files will automatically produce entries for additional
1844 HTML output generated by @command{texi2html} (i.e., split by sections
1847 You can set the environment variables @env{MAKEINFO}, @env{TEXI2DVI},
1848 @env{TEXI2HTML} and @env{DVIPS} to control the programs that get
1849 executed, and @env{GENDOCS_TEMPLATE_DIR} to control where the
1850 @file{gendocs_template} file is found.
1852 As usual, run @samp{gendocs.sh --help} for a description of all the
1853 options, environment variables, and more information.
1855 Please email bug reports, enhancement requests, or other
1856 correspondence to @email{bug-texinfo@@gnu.org}.
1859 @node CVS Keywords in Web Pages
1860 @section CVS Keywords in Web Pages
1861 @cindex CVS keywords in web pages
1862 @cindex RCS keywords in web pages
1863 @cindex $ keywords in web pages
1864 @cindex web pages, and CVS keywords
1866 Since @code{www.gnu.org} works through CVS, CVS keywords in your
1867 manual, such as @code{@w{$}Log$}, need special treatment (even if you
1868 don't happen to maintain your manual in CVS).
1870 If these keywords end up in the generated output as literal strings,
1871 they will be expanded. The most robust way to handle this is to turn
1872 off keyword expansion for such generated files. For existing files,
1876 cvs admin -ko @var{file1} @var{file2} ...
1883 cvs add -ko @var{file1} @var{file2} ...
1886 @c The CVS manual is now built with numeric references and no nonsplit
1887 @c form, so it's not worth trying to give a direct link.
1888 See the ``Keyword Substitution'' section in the CVS manual, available
1889 at @url{http://ximbiot.com/cvs/manual}.
1891 In Texinfo source, the recommended way to literally specify a
1892 ``dollar'' keyword is:
1898 The @code{@@w} prevents keyword expansion in the Texinfo source
1899 itself. Also, @code{makeinfo} notices the @code{@@w} and generates
1900 output avoiding the literal keyword string.
1903 @node Ethical and Philosophical Consideration
1904 @chapter Ethical and Philosophical Consideration
1908 The GNU project takes a strong stand for software freedom. Many
1909 times, this means you'll need to avoid certain technologies when their
1910 use would conflict with our long-term goals.
1912 Software patents threaten the advancement of free software and freedom
1913 to program. There are so many software patents in the US that any
1914 large program probably implements hundreds of patented techniques,
1915 unknown to the program's developers. It would be futile and
1916 self-defeating to try to find and avoid all these patents. But there
1917 are some patents which we know are likely to be used to threaten free
1918 software, so we make an effort to avoid the patented techniques. If
1919 you are concerned about the danger of a patent and would like advice,
1920 write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}, and we will try to help you get
1921 advice from a lawyer.
1923 Sometimes the GNU project takes a strong stand against a particular
1924 patented technology in order to encourage society to reject it.
1926 For example, the MP3 audio format is covered by a software patent in
1927 the USA and some other countries. A patent holder has threatened
1928 lawsuits against the developers of free programs (these are not GNU
1929 programs) to produce and play MP3, and some GNU/Linux distributors are
1930 afraid to include them. Development of the programs continues, but we
1931 campaign for the rejection of MP3 format in favor of Ogg Vorbis format.
1933 A GNU package should not recommend use of any non-free program, nor
1934 should it require a non-free program (such as a non-free compiler or
1935 IDE) to build. Thus, a GNU package cannot be written in a programming
1936 language that does not have a free software implementation. Now that
1937 GNU/Linux systems are widely available, all GNU packages should
1938 provide full functionality on a 100% free GNU/Linux system, and should
1939 not require any non-free software to build or function.
1940 The GNU Coding Standards say a lot more about this issue.
1942 A GNU package should not refer the user to any non-free documentation
1943 for free software. The need for free documentation to come with free
1944 software is now a major focus of the GNU project; to show that we are
1945 serious about the need for free documentation, we must not contradict
1946 our position by recommending use of documentation that isn't free.
1948 Finally, new issues concerning the ethics of software freedom come up
1949 frequently. We ask that GNU maintainers, at least on matters that
1950 pertain specifically to their package, stand with the rest of the GNU
1951 project when such issues come up.
1955 @chapter Terminology Issues
1958 This chapter explains a couple of issues of terminology which are
1959 important for correcting two widespread and important misunderstandings
1963 * Free Software and Open Source::
1967 @node Free Software and Open Source
1968 @section Free Software and Open Source
1969 @cindex free software
1971 @cindex movements, Free Software and Open Source
1973 The terms ``free software'' and ``open source'' are the slogans of two
1974 different movements which differ in their basic philosophy. The Free
1975 Software Movement is idealistic, and raises issues of freedom, ethics,
1976 principle and what makes for a good society. The Open Source Movement,
1977 founded in 1998, studiously avoids such questions. For more explanation,
1978 see @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html}.
1980 The GNU Project is aligned with the Free Software Movement. This
1981 doesn't mean that all GNU contributors and maintainers have to agree;
1982 your views on these issues are up to you, and you're entitled to express
1983 them when speaking for yourself.
1985 However, due to the much greater publicity that the Open Source
1986 Movement receives, the GNU Project needs to overcome a widespread
1987 mistaken impression that GNU is @emph{and always was} an activity of
1988 the Open Source Movement. For this reason, please use the term ``free
1989 software'', not ``open source'', in GNU software releases, GNU
1990 documentation, and announcements and articles that you publish in your
1991 role as the maintainer of a GNU package. A reference to the URL given
1992 above, to explain the difference, is a useful thing to include as
1996 @section GNU and Linux
2000 The GNU Project was formed to develop a free Unix-like operating system,
2001 GNU. The existence of this system is our major accomplishment.
2002 However, the widely used version of the GNU system, in which Linux is
2003 used as the kernel, is often called simply ``Linux''. As a result, most
2004 users don't know about the GNU Project's major accomplishment---or more
2005 precisely, they know about it, but don't realize it is the GNU Project's
2006 accomplishment and reason for existence. Even people who believe they
2007 know the real history often believe that the goal of GNU was to develop
2008 ``tools'' or ``utilities.''
2010 To correct this confusion, we have made a years-long effort to
2011 distinguish between Linux, the kernel that Linus Torvalds wrote, and
2012 GNU/Linux, the operating system that is the combination of GNU and
2013 Linux. The resulting increased awareness of what the GNU Project has
2014 already done helps every activity of the GNU Project recruit more
2015 support and contributors.
2017 Please make this distinction consistently in GNU software releases, GNU
2018 documentation, and announcements and articles that you publish in your
2019 role as the maintainer of a GNU package. If you want to explain the
2020 terminology and its reasons, you can refer to the URL
2021 @url{http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html}.
2023 To contrast the GNU system properly with respect to GNU/Linux, you can
2024 call it ``GNU/Hurd'' or ``the GNU/Hurd system.'' However, when that
2025 contrast is not specifically the focus, please call it just ``GNU'' or
2028 When referring to the collection of servers that is the higher level
2029 of the GNU kernel, please call it ``the Hurd'' or ``the GNU Hurd.''
2030 Note that this uses a space, not a slash.
2035 @cindex CVS repository
2037 @cindex source repository
2038 @cindex version control system
2040 @cindex release site
2043 We recommend using @code{savannah.gnu.org} for the source code
2044 repository for your package, but that's not required. @xref{Old
2045 Versions}, for more information about Savannah.
2047 We strongly urge you to use @code{ftp.gnu.org} as the standard
2048 distribution site. Doing so makes it easier for developers and users
2049 to find the latest GNU releases. However, it is ok to use another
2050 server if you wish, provided it allows access from the general public
2051 without limitation (for instance, without excluding any country).
2053 If you use a company's machine to hold the repository for your
2054 program, or as its ftp site, please put this statement in a prominent
2055 place on the site, so as to prevent people from getting the wrong idea
2056 about the relationship between the package and the company:
2059 The programs <list of them> hosted here are free software packages
2060 of the GNU Project, not products of <company name>. We call them
2061 "free software" because you are free to copy and redistribute them,
2062 following the rules stated in the license of each package. For more
2063 information, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.
2065 If you are looking for service or support for GNU software, see
2066 http://www.gnu.org/help/gethelp.html for suggestions of where to ask.
2068 If you would like to contribute to the development of one of these
2069 packages, contact the package maintainer or the bug-reporting address
2070 of the package (which should be listed in the package itself), or look
2071 on www.gnu.org for more information on how to contribute.
2075 @node Free Software Directory
2076 @chapter Free Software Directory
2077 @cindex Free Software Directory
2078 @cindex Directory, Free Software
2080 The Free Software Directory aims to be a complete list of free
2081 software packages, within certain criteria. Every GNU package should
2082 be listed there, so please see
2083 @url{http://www.gnu.org/help/directory.html#adding-entries} for
2084 information on how to write an entry for your package. Contact
2085 @email{bug-directory@@gnu.org} with any questions or suggestions for
2086 the Free Software Directory.
2089 @node Using the Proofreaders List
2090 @chapter Using the Proofreaders List
2091 @cindex proofreading
2093 If you want help finding errors in documentation,
2094 or help improving the quality of writing,
2095 or if you are not a native speaker of English
2096 and want help producing good English documentation,
2097 you can use the GNU proofreaders mailing list:
2098 @email{proofreaders@@gnu.org}.
2100 But be careful when you use the list,
2101 because there are over 200 people on it.
2102 If you simply ask everyone on the list to read your work,
2103 there will probably be tremendous duplication of effort
2104 by the proofreaders,
2105 and you will probably get the same errors reported 100 times.
2106 This must be avoided.
2108 Also, the people on the list do not want to get
2109 a large amount of mail from it.
2110 So do not ever ask people on the list to send mail to the list!
2112 Here are a few methods that seem reasonable to use:
2116 For something small, mail it to the list,
2117 and ask people to pick a random number from 1 to 20,
2118 and read it if the number comes out as 10.
2119 This way, assuming 50% response, some 5 people will read the piece.
2122 For a larger work, divide your work into around 20 equal-sized parts,
2123 tell people where to get it,
2124 and ask each person to pick randomly which part to read.
2126 Be sure to specify the random choice procedure;
2127 otherwise people will probably use a mental procedure
2128 that is not really random,
2129 such as ``pick a part near the middle'',
2130 and you will not get even coverage.
2132 You can either divide up the work physically, into 20 separate files,
2133 or describe a virtual division, such as by sections
2134 (if your work has approximately 20 sections).
2135 If you do the latter, be sure to be precise about it---for example,
2136 do you want the material before the first section heading
2137 to count as a section, or not?
2140 For a job needing special skills, send an explanation of it,
2141 and ask people to send you mail if they volunteer for the job.
2142 When you get enough volunteers, send another message to the list saying
2143 ``I have enough volunteers, no more please.''
2147 @node GNU Free Documentation License
2148 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
2150 @cindex FDL, GNU Free Documentation License
2161 eval: (add-hook 'write-file-hooks 'time-stamp)
2162 time-stamp-start: "@set lastupdate "
2163 time-stamp-start: "@set lastupdate "
2165 time-stamp-format: "%:b %:d, %:y"
2166 compile-command: "make -C work.m"