@c For double-sided printing, uncomment:
@c @setchapternewpage odd
@c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
-@set lastupdate October 9, 2006
+@set lastupdate June 26, 2007
@c %**end of header
@dircategory GNU organization
@copying
Information for maintainers of GNU software, last updated @value{lastupdate}.
-Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,
-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
+2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software
+Foundation, Inc.
@quotation
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies
package, you should have an account there. Contact
@email{accounts@@gnu.org} if you don't have one. (You can also ask
for accounts for people who help you a large amount in working on the
-package.) @file{/gd/gnuorg/maintain.tar.gz} is a tar file containing
-all of these files in that directory which are mentioned in this file;
-it is updated daily.
+package.)
This release of the GNU Maintenance Instructions was last updated
@value{lastupdate}.
you did was copy it, not write it, then for copyright purposes you are
@emph{not} one of the contributors of @emph{this} code.
+Especially when code has been released into the public domain, authors
+sometimes fail to write a license statement in each file. In this
+case, please first be sure that all the authors of the code have
+disclaimed copyright interest. Then, when copying the new files into
+your project, add a brief note at the beginning of the files recording
+the authors, the public domain status, and anything else relevant.
+
+On the other hand, when merging some public domain code into an
+existing file covered by the GPL (or LGPL or other free software
+license), there is no reason to indicate the pieces which are public
+domain. The notice saying that the whole file is under the GPL (or
+other license) is legally sufficient.
+
+Using code that is released under a GPL-compatible free license,
+rather than being in the public domain, may require preserving
+copyright notices or other steps. Of course, you should do what is
+needed.
+
If you are maintaining an FSF-copyrighted package, please verify we
have papers for the code you are copying, @emph{before} copying it.
If you are copying from another FSF-copyrighted package, then we
for the code, you can only use it as an external library
(@pxref{External Libraries}).
+
@node Copyright Notices
@section Copyright Notices
@cindex copyright notices in program files
entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
-this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
+this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
-
@end smallexample
If the FSF does not publish this manual on paper, then omit the last
The names of the files are important. The signature file must have the
same name as the file to be distributed, with an additional
@file{.sig} extension. The directive file must have the same name as
-the file to be distributed, with an additional @file{.directive.asc
-extension}. If you do not follow this naming convention, the upload
+the file to be distributed, with an additional @file{.directive.asc}
+extension. If you do not follow this naming convention, the upload
@emph{will not be processed}.
Since v1.1 of the upload script, it is also possible to upload a
announce pretest releases, only real releases. But real releases do
include releases made just to fix bugs.
-@node Web Pages
+@node Web Pages
@chapter Web Pages
@cindex web pages
them up on whatever site is convenient for you, and make the pages on
@code{www.gnu.org} link to that site.
-Web pages for GNU packages should not include GIF images, since the GNU
-project avoids GIFs due to patent problems. @xref{Ethical and
-Philosophical Consideration}.
+Historically, web pages for GNU packages did not include GIF images,
+because of patent problems (@pxref{Ethical and Philosophical
+Consideration}). Although the GIF patents expired in 2006, using GIF
+images is still not recommended, as the PNG and JPEG formats are
+generally superior. See @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/gif.html}.
The web pages for the package should include its manuals, in HTML,
-DVI, Info, PostScript, PDF, plain ASCII, and Texinfo format (source). (All
-of these can be generated automatically from the Texinfo source using
-Makeinfo and other programs.) When there is only one manual, put it
-in a subdirectory called @file{manual}; the file
+DVI, Info, PostScript, PDF, plain ASCII, and Texinfo format (source).
+(All of these can be generated automatically from the Texinfo source
+using Makeinfo and other programs.) When there is only one manual,
+put it in a subdirectory called @file{manual}; the file
@file{manual/index.html} should have a link to the manual in each of
its forms.
* CVS Keywords in Web Pages::
@end menu
-@node Invoking gendocs.sh
-@section Invoking @command{gendocs.sh}
+@node Invoking gendocs.sh
+@section Invoking @command{gendocs.sh}
@pindex gendocs.sh
@cindex generating documentation output
output avoiding the literal keyword string.
-@node Ethical and Philosophical Consideration
+@node Ethical and Philosophical Consideration
@chapter Ethical and Philosophical Consideration
@cindex ethics
@cindex philosophy
software.
Beyond that, sometimes the GNU project takes a strong stand against a
-particular patented technology in order to encourage everyone to reject
-it.
-
-For example, the GIF file format is covered by the LZW software patent
-in the USA. A patent holder has threatened lawsuits against not only
-developers of software to produce GIFs, but even web sites that
-contain them.
-
-For this reason, you should not include GIFs in the web pages for your
-package, nor in the distribution of the package itself. It is ok for
-a GNU package to support displaying GIFs which will come into play if
-a user asks it to operate on one. However, it is essential to provide
-equal or better support for the competing PNG and JPG
-formats---otherwise, the GNU package would be @emph{pressuring} users
-to use GIF format, and that it must not do. More about our stand on
-GIF is available at @uref{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/gif.html}.
+particular patented technology in order to encourage everyone to
+reject it. For example, until the GIF patents expired in 2006, we
+specified that GNU packages and web pages should not include GIF image
+files, and that equal or better support for other image formats such
+as PNG and JPEG was crucial. (These other formats remain superior, so
+there is still no particular reason to use GIF's.)
Software patents are not the only matter for ethical concern. A GNU
package should not recommend use of any non-free program, nor should it
of the GNU kernel, please call it ``the Hurd'' or ``the GNU Hurd.''
Note that this uses a space, not a slash.
-@node Hosting
+@node Hosting
@chapter Hosting
@cindex CVS repository
@cindex repository
projects / pspp / blobdiff