[Proj] Method of reference to license within software code modules
Gerald I. Evenden
geraldi.evenden at gmail.com
Mon Jan 5 20:44:26 EST 2009
On Monday 05 January 2009 8:16:14 pm Charles Wilson wrote:
> On Mon, 5 Jan 2009 19:43:25 -0500, "Gerald I. Evenden" said:
> > Question: does/should a copy of the license that covers a program module
> > be
> > placed within each and every source file??
>
> The usual practice is yes, when the license itself is short (20-30
> lines). So, MIT license, BSD, usually yes.
>
> > I had been putting a copy of the MIT in every file of whatever that ends
> > up in
> > a distubution tarball. Is that necessary? I doubt that a copy of the
> > 10,000
> > lines of GPL ends up in each of Stallman's files. ;-)
>
> Right. The FSF gives the following advice:
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html
> which basically says: here's 20-30 lines of boilerplate that goes in
> each and every file; include one copy of the entire GPL in your package.
I cannot find a reference to that line 20-30 count---but I nit-pick. Their
example that references the COPYING file is about 15 lines. The MIT is about
27 lines.
> So, that's the way RMS's files are done.
>
> > Is a reference and url (such as
> > http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
> > sufficient?
>
> Usually no, as Frank mentioned.
Again, I agree.
> > Anyway, I feel that I have been a bit excessive.
>
> Nope, I think you did it just right.
Over a third of what I distribute is nothing but repeated license.
> --
> Chuck
Besides, Frank does not even follow his own advice. Many of the files in
proj-4.4.9 don't have any license---and it is *not* my code. :-)
--
The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due
to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.
-- Havelock Ellis (1859-1939) British psychologist
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