Re: test modules and license

[Bruno Haible]

Paul Eggert wrote:
> > The argument for making it LGPL is that an LGPLed package can include
> > them without making a complicated license statement like "the library
> > source is under LGPL, the testsuite under GPL, and the doc under GFDL".
> 
> I'm afraid we've already lost that battle as far as the GFDL goes;
> the GNU policy is to use the GFDL for manuals.
> 
> I don't think it's all that complicated to tell people that the
> library parts of a system are LGPLed, the documentation is GFDLed, the
> non-library code is GPLed.  And after all, the GNU policy is to prefer
> the GPL for code when possible.

Fine with me (although I had a slight preference for putting test modules
under the same license as the source modules).

I've added explanations like this. Karl, is this right? And is the
mentioned doc license something that Debian accepts?

2007-01-15  Bruno Haible  <address@hidden>

        * doc/gnulib-intro.texi (Copyright): Explain the different license
        terms for module descriptions, autoconf macros, tests, documentation.

*** doc/gnulib-intro.texi       24 Oct 2006 20:10:22 -0000      1.4
--- doc/gnulib-intro.texi       15 Jan 2007 11:13:49 -0000
***************
*** 214,219 ****
--- 214,262 ----
  always say "GPL", but the real license specification is in the module
  description file.
  
+ More precisely, the license specification is in the module description
+ file applies to the files in @file{lib/} and @file{build-aux/}.  Different
+ licenses apply to files in special directories:
+ 
+ @table @file
+ @item modules/
+ Module description files are under this copyright:
+ 
+ @quotation
+ Copyright @copyright{} 2002-2007 Free Software Foundation, address@hidden
+ Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification,
+ in any medium, are permitted without royalty provided the copyright
+ notice and this notice are preserved.
+ @end quotation
+ 
+ @item m4/
+ Autoconf macro files are under this copyright:
+ 
+ @quotation
+ Copyright @copyright{} 2002-2007 Free Software Foundation, address@hidden
+ This file is free software; the Free Software Foundation
+ gives unlimited permission to copy and/or distribute it,
+ with or without modifications, as long as this notice is preserved.
+ @end quotation
+ 
+ @item tests/
+ If a license statement is not present in a test module, the test files are
+ under GPL.  Even if the corresponding source module is under LGPL, this is
+ not a problem, since compiled tests are not installed by ``make install''.
+ 
+ @item doc/
+ Documentation files are under this copyright:
+ 
+ @quotation
+ Copyright @copyright{} 2002-2007 Free Software Foundation, address@hidden
+ Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
+ under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
+ any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
+ Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
+ Texts.
+ @end quotation
+ @end table
+ 
  If you want to use some Gnulib modules under LGPL, you can do so by
  passing the option @samp{--lgpl} to @code{gnulib-tool}.  This will
  replace the GPL header with an LGPL header while copying the source