Re: License of bash manpage (Re: License details for bash-4.2)

[Chet Ramey]

On 7/15/11 8:49 PM, Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> Hi Chet et al,
> 
> Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> 
> [concerning licensing]
>> Looking over bash 4.2, I have a few questions:
> 
> After investigating a little more and testing with files removed, I'm
> down to one question (though it would still be nice to clarify the
> licenses of the other files mentioned): what is the intended license
> of the bash manpage at doc/bash.1, if any?
> 
> The opening comments only say
> 
>       .\" MAN PAGE COMMENTS to
>       .\"
>       .\"     Chet Ramey
>       .\"     Case Western Reserve University
>       .\"     chet@po.cwru.edu
>       .\"
>       .\"     Last Change: Tue Dec 28 13:41:43 EST 2010
> 
> I am interested in whether you are okay with users and distributors
> using, modifying, and distributing the file, and if so under what
> terms.

The man page copyright belongs to me -- I don't know that I ever
assigned it to the FSF.  I don't have a problem with others modifying the
man page, and expect it under certain circumstances.  For instance, if a
distribution modifies the startup files bash reads (e.g., to add
/etc/bash.bashrc as some have done), I expect them to modify the manual
page in the distribution to reflect that.

In other cases, I would prefer that any changes get sent back to me
so I can modify as necessary for future releases.

> Thanks for writing the manpage, by the way!  It is generally a
> pleasant read and very clear.

Thanks.  I'm glad you like it.

Chet
-- 
``The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.'' - Chaucer
                 ``Ars longa, vita brevis'' - Hippocrates
Chet Ramey, ITS, CWRU    chet@case.edu    http://cnswww.cns.cwru.edu/~chet/