Re: [GNU-linux-libre] [Parabola] TeXLive auditing

[Karl Berry]

    - missing sources for some hyphenation patterns files (e.g. hyph-en-gb
      in the hyph-utf8 packages explicitly states that it's generated from
      an unpublished word list)

Essentially all the hyphenation patterns were originally generated from
wordlists that are not available.  Including US English.

Although I know it is suboptimal, it seems to me that the hyphenation
patterns are themselves source.  They can be understood and modified, on
their own.  Many of the hyphenation pattern files were in fact modified
by hand from patgen's output.

I believe there is an analogy with fonts.  Many forever-regarded-as-free
fonts have an "upstream" version; all of Adobe's and Bitstream's fonts,
say, were certainly created with proprietary tools (Fontographer,
Ikarus, whatever).  But I think it is not wrong to consider the
"derived" Type1's (or OTF's or whatever) as free, given their release
under a free license.  The fonts can be used, modified, etc., on their
own, even though in a theoretical sense they are not the ultimate
upstream source.  Ditto hyphenation patterns.

    - MeX license which can be interpreted to disallow selling or
      modification

    - ec contains code from MeX-licensed pl fonts, has a license considered

I will talk to the Poles about the MeX license.  I doubt they will have
a problem with switching to Knuth's current text or the LPPL or whatever.

k