Skip Menu |

Preferred bug tracker

Please visit the preferred bug tracker to report your issue.

This queue is for tickets about the Devel-PPPort CPAN distribution.

Report information
The Basics
Id: 20179
Status: resolved
Priority: 0/
Queue: Devel-PPPort

People
Owner: Nobody in particular
Requestors: CRAKRJACK [...] cpan.org
Cc:
AdminCc:

Bug Information
Severity: Normal
Broken in:
  • 3.06_04
  • 3.07
  • 3.08
  • 3.08_01
  • 3.08_02
  • 3.08_03
  • 3.08_04
  • 3.08_05
Fixed in: 3.08_07



Subject: Licensing information for PPPort is unclear
If "perl ppport.h --strip" it ran, all licensing information is removed from ppport.h. This means that if somebody releases a package that does not fall under the perl license with a stripped ppport.h file, it appears that the perl license does not apply. This raises an interesting question: Should people who use ppport.h be encumbered by the perl license? I would like to think not, but it is really up to you people, the authors. This causes problems for people deciding to bundle software (eg; os vendors) that use perl-XS packages. Please see: http://lists.debian.org/debian-mentors/2006/06/msg00561.html and clairify your position. One of the following two solutions would be ideal: 1) Make the product of Devel::PPPort (ppport.h) pretty much public domain with no licensing requirements whatsoever. This is what autoconf et al do. 2) Make it so that "perl ppport.h --strip" does not remove the license info, so that people are not mistaken in thinking the perl license does not apply. Thanks, Tyler
On Wed Jun 28 23:49:46 2006, CRAKRJACK wrote: Show quoted text
> If "perl ppport.h --strip" it ran, all licensing information is removed > from ppport.h.
Thanks for catching that! Show quoted text
> This means that if somebody releases a package that does > not fall under the perl license with a stripped ppport.h file, it > appears that the perl license does not apply. > > This raises an interesting question: Should people who use ppport.h be > encumbered by the perl license? I would like to think not, but it is > really up to you people, the authors. > > This causes problems for people deciding to bundle software (eg; os > vendors) that use perl-XS packages. Please see: > http://lists.debian.org/debian-mentors/2006/06/msg00561.html and > clairify your position. One of the following two solutions would be ideal: > > 1) Make the product of Devel::PPPort (ppport.h) pretty much public > domain with no licensing requirements whatsoever. This is what autoconf > et al do.
I don't think this can be done, as ppport.h contains verbatim copies of functions from the perl core. Show quoted text
> 2) Make it so that "perl ppport.h --strip" does not remove the license > info, so that people are not mistaken in thinking the perl license does > not apply.
That's what I've just implemented in my development version of Devel::PPPort. The change will be part of the next release, which I'll try to put out next week. I'll let you know when it's released. Thanks again for your report! Regards, Marcus
Subject: Re: [rt.cpan.org #20179] Licensing information for PPPort is unclear
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:46:43 -0700
To: via RT <bug-Devel-PPPort [...] rt.cpan.org>
From: Tyler MacDonald <tyler [...] yi.org>
via RT <bug-Devel-PPPort@rt.cpan.org> wrote: Show quoted text
> > <URL: http://rt.cpan.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=20179 > >
> > 1) Make the product of Devel::PPPort (ppport.h) pretty much public > > domain with no licensing requirements whatsoever. This is what autoconf > > et al do.
> > I don't think this can be done, as ppport.h contains verbatim > copies of functions from the perl core.
It's unfortunate that the use of ppport forces a developer to adopt the perl license... Show quoted text
> > 2) Make it so that "perl ppport.h --strip" does not remove the license > > info, so that people are not mistaken in thinking the perl license does > > not apply.
> > That's what I've just implemented in my development version of > Devel::PPPort. The change will be part of the next release, > which I'll try to put out next week.
... but at least there will be no confusion on the subject. :) Thanks! - Tyler
On Thu Jun 29 14:47:19 2006, tyler@yi.org wrote: Show quoted text
> It's unfortunate that the use of ppport forces a developer to adopt > the perl license...
It doesn't. There's no "perl license". The statement "under the same terms as Perl itself" refers to this text in Perl's README: This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either: a) the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 1, or (at your option) any later version, or b) the "Artistic License" which comes with this Kit. So, a developer can choose to use adopt either the GPL, or the Artistic License, or "the same terms as Perl itself". (Sorry if that was already clear to you... ;-) Cheers, Marcus
Subject: Re: [rt.cpan.org #20179] Licensing information for PPPort is unclear
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:44:30 -0700
To: via RT <bug-Devel-PPPort [...] rt.cpan.org>
From: Tyler MacDonald <tyler [...] yi.org>
via RT <bug-Devel-PPPort@rt.cpan.org> wrote: Show quoted text
> > <URL: http://rt.cpan.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=20179 > > > On Thu Jun 29 14:47:19 2006, tyler@yi.org wrote:
> > It's unfortunate that the use of ppport forces a developer to adopt > > the perl license...
> > It doesn't. There's no "perl license". The statement "under the same > terms as Perl itself" refers to this text in Perl's README: > > This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify > it under the terms of either: > > a) the GNU General Public License as published by the Free > Software Foundation; either version 1, or (at your option) any > later version, or > > b) the "Artistic License" which comes with this Kit. > > So, a developer can choose to use adopt either the GPL, or the > Artistic License, or "the same terms as Perl itself". > > (Sorry if that was already clear to you... ;-)
Right, which means that if someone wanted to go with, say, the MIT license, they couldn't without being forced to distribute under the terms of either the GPL or Artistic License as well. :) - Tyler
On Thu Jun 29 15:44:59 2006, tyler@yi.org wrote: Show quoted text
> via RT <bug-Devel-PPPort@rt.cpan.org> wrote:
Show quoted text
> > So, a developer can choose to use adopt either the GPL, or the > > Artistic License, or "the same terms as Perl itself". > > > > (Sorry if that was already clear to you... ;-)
> > Right, which means that if someone wanted to go with, say, the MIT > license, they couldn't without being forced to distribute under the
terms of Show quoted text
> either the GPL or Artistic License as well. :)
Actually, I'm not an expert when it comes to licenses. But from how I understand the following excerpt of the Artistic License, the developer can choose whatever license he wants for his distribution as long as he doesn't *modify* ppport.h. "1. You may make and give away verbatim copies of the source form of the Standard Version of this Package without restriction, provided that you duplicate all of the original copyright notices and associated disclaimers." And it even seems perfectly legal to me to use ppport.h in a closed source, binary-only, commercial distribution: "6. The scripts and library files supplied as input to or produced as output from the programs of this Package do not automatically fall under the copyright of this Package, but belong to whoever generated them, and may be sold commercially, and may be aggregated with this Package. [...]" Actually even if he modifies ppport.h: "3. You may otherwise modify your copy of this Package in any way, provided that you insert a prominent notice in each changed file stating how and when you changed that file, and provided that you do at least ONE of the following: [...] b) use the modified Package only within your corporation or organization. [...]" But that's only my understanding of it, and I may be completely wrong... ;-) Regards, Marcus
FYI, this has been fixed in Devel::PPPort 3.09, which I've just uploaded to CPAN. file: $CPAN/authors/id/M/MH/MHX/Devel-PPPort-3.09.tar.gz size: 146937 bytes md5: cff159a0e62403aea6269daf05e9074a Regards, Marcus