1 \input texinfo.tex @c -*-texinfo-*-
3 @setfilename maintain.info
4 @settitle Information for Maintainers of GNU Software
5 @c For double-sided printing, uncomment:
6 @c @setchapternewpage odd
7 @c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
8 @set lastupdate February 5, 2012
11 @dircategory GNU organization
13 * Maintaining: (maintain). Maintaining GNU software.
16 @setchapternewpage off
18 @c Put everything in one index (arbitrarily chosen to be the concept index).
23 Information for maintainers of GNU software, last updated @value{lastupdate}.
25 Copyright @copyright{} 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
26 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
27 2010, 2011, 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
30 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
31 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
32 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
33 Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
34 Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
35 ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
40 @title Information for Maintainers of GNU Software
41 @author Richard Stallman
42 @author last updated @value{lastupdate}
44 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
60 * GNU Accounts and Resources::
62 * Recruiting Developers::
70 * Ethical and Philosophical Consideration::
74 * Free Software Directory::
75 * Using the Proofreaders List::
76 * GNU Free Documentation License::
82 @chapter About This Document
84 This file contains guidelines and advice for someone who is the
85 maintainer of a GNU program on behalf of the GNU Project. Everyone is
86 entitled to change and redistribute GNU software; you need not pay
87 attention to this file to get permission. But if you want to maintain
88 a version for widespread distribution, we suggest you follow these
89 guidelines. If you are or would like to be a GNU maintainer, then it
90 is essential to follow these guidelines.
92 In addition to this document, please read and follow the GNU Coding
93 Standards (@pxref{Top, , Contents, standards, GNU Coding Standards}).
95 @cindex @code{bug-standards@@gnu.org} email address
96 @cindex Savannah repository for @code{gnustandards}
97 @cindex @code{gnustandards} project repository
98 Please send corrections or suggestions for this document to
99 @email{bug-standards@@gnu.org}. If you make a suggestion, please
100 include suggested new wording if you can. We prefer a context diff to
101 the Texinfo source, but if that's difficult for you, you can make a
102 diff for some other version of this document, or propose it in any way
103 that makes it clear. The source repository for this document can be
104 found at @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnustandards}.
106 @cindex @code{gnustandards-commit@@gnu.org} mailing list
107 If you want to receive diffs for every change to these GNU documents,
108 join the mailing list @code{gnustandards-commit@@gnu.org}, for
109 instance via the web interface at
110 @url{http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnustandards-commit}.
111 Archives are also available there.
113 @cindex Piercy, Marge
114 This document uses the gender-neutral third-person pronouns ``person'',
115 ``per'', ``pers'' and ``perself'' which were promoted, and perhaps
116 invented, by Marge Piercy in @cite{Woman on the Edge of Time}. They are
117 used just like ``she'', ``her'', ``hers'' and ``herself'', except that
118 they apply equally to males and females. For example, ``Person placed
119 per new program under the GNU GPL, to let the public benefit from per
120 work, and to enable per to feel person has done the right thing.''
122 This release of the GNU Maintainer Information was last updated
127 @chapter Getting Help
128 @cindex help, getting
130 @cindex @code{mentors@@gnu.org} mailing list
131 If you have any general questions or encounter a situation where it
132 isn't clear how to get something done or who to ask, you (as a GNU
133 contributor) can always write to @email{mentors@@gnu.org}, which is a
134 list of a few experienced GNU folks who have volunteered to answer
135 questions. Any GNU-related question is fair game for the
138 @cindex advisory committee
139 The GNU Advisory Committee helps to coordinate activities in the GNU
140 project on behalf of RMS (Richard Stallman, the Chief GNUisance). If
141 you have any organizational questions or concerns you can contact the
142 committee at @email{gnu-advisory@@gnu.org}. See
143 @url{http://www.gnu.org/contact/gnu-advisory.html} for the current
144 committee members. Additional information is in
145 @file{/gd/gnuorg/advisory}.
147 @cindex down, when GNU machines are
148 @cindex outage, of GNU machines
149 @cindex @url{http://identi.ca/group/fsfstatus}
150 If you find that any GNU computer systems (@code{fencepost.gnu.org},
151 @code{ftp.gnu.org}, @code{www.gnu.org}, @code{savannah.gnu.org},
152 @dots{}) seem to be down, you can check the current status at
153 @url{http://identi.ca/group/fsfstatus}. Most likely the problem, if
154 it can be alleviated at the FSF end, is already being worked on.
156 @cindex sysadmin, FSF
157 @cindex FSF system administrators
158 @cindex GNU system administrators
159 The FSF system administrators are responsible for the network and GNU
160 hardware. You can email them at @email{sysadmin@@fsf.org}, but please
161 try not to burden them unnecessarily.
164 @node GNU Accounts and Resources
165 @chapter GNU Accounts and Resources
166 @cindex shell account, on fencepost
167 @cindex @code{fencepost.gnu.org} GNU login host
168 @cindex resources for GNU developers
169 @cindex development resources
171 @c We want to repeat this text later, so define a macro.
173 The directory @file{/gd/gnuorg} mentioned throughout this document is
174 available on the general GNU server, currently
175 @code{fencepost.gnu.org}. If you are the maintainer of a GNU package,
176 you should have an account there. If you don't have one already,
177 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/README.accounts.html}. You can also
178 ask for accounts for people who significantly help you in working on
184 Other resources available to GNU maintainers are described at
185 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/devel.html}, as well as throughout
186 this document. In brief:
189 @item Login accounts (see above).
191 @item Version control (@pxref{Old Versions}).
193 @item Mailing lists (@pxref{Mail}).
195 @item Web pages (@pxref{Web Pages}).
197 @item Mirrored release areas (@pxref{Distributions}).
200 @cindex @code{platform-testers} mailing list
201 @item Pre-release portability testing, both automated (via Hydra) and
202 on request (via volunteers).
208 @chapter Stepping Down
209 @cindex stepping down as maintainer
210 @cindex resigning as maintainer
212 With good fortune, you will continue maintaining your package for many
213 decades. But sometimes for various reasons maintainers decide to step
216 If you're the official maintainer of a GNU package and you decide to
217 step down, please inform the GNU Project (@email{maintainers@@gnu.org}).
218 We need to know that the package no longer has a maintainer, so we can
219 look for and appoint a new maintainer.
221 @cindex @email{maintainers@@gnu.org}
222 If you have an idea for who should take over, please tell
223 @email{maintainers@@gnu.org} your suggestion. The appointment of a new
224 maintainer needs the GNU Project's confirmation, but your judgment that
225 a person is capable of doing the job will carry a lot of weight.
227 As your final act as maintainer, it would be helpful to set up or
228 update the package under @code{savannah.gnu.org} (@pxref{Old
229 Versions}). This will make it much easier for the new maintainer to
230 pick up where you left off and will ensure that the source tree is not
231 misplaced if it takes us a while to find a new maintainer.
234 @node Recruiting Developers
235 @chapter Recruiting Developers
237 Unless your package is a fairly small, you probably won't do all the
238 work on it yourself. Most maintainers recruit other developers to help.
240 Sometimes people will offer to help. Some of them will be capable,
241 while others will not. It's up to you to determine who provides useful
242 help, and encourage those people to participate more.
244 Some of the people who offer to help will support the GNU Project, while
245 others may be interested for other reasons. Some will support the goals
246 of the Free Software Movement, but some may not. They are all welcome
247 to help with the work---we don't ask people's views or motivations
248 before they contribute to GNU packages.
250 As a consequence, you cannot expect all contributors to support the GNU
251 Project, or to have a concern for its policies and standards. So part
252 of your job as maintainer is to exercise your authority on these points
253 when they arise. No matter how much of the work other people do, you
254 are in charge of what goes in the release. When a crucial point arises,
255 you should calmly state your decision and stick to it.
257 Sometimes a package has several co-maintainers who share the role of
258 maintainer. Unlike developers who help, co-maintainers have actually
259 been appointed jointly as the maintainers of the package, and they carry
260 out the maintainer's functions together. If you would like to propose
261 some of your developers as co-maintainers, please contact
262 @email{maintainers@@gnu.org}.
264 We're happy to acknowledge all major contributors to GNU packages on
265 the @url{http://www.gnu.org/people/people.html} web page. Please send
266 an entry for yourself to @email{webmasters@@gnu.org}, and feel free to
267 suggest it to other significant developers on your package.
271 @chapter Legal Matters
272 @cindex legal matters
274 This chapter describes procedures you should follow for legal reasons
275 as you maintain the program, to avoid legal difficulties.
279 * Legally Significant::
280 * Recording Contributors::
281 * Copying from Other Packages::
282 * Copyright Notices::
284 * External Libraries::
287 @node Copyright Papers
288 @section Copyright Papers
289 @cindex copyright papers
291 If you maintain an FSF-copyrighted package
292 certain legal procedures are required when incorporating legally significant
293 changes written by other people. This ensures that the FSF has the
294 legal right to distribute the package, and the standing to defend its
295 GPL-covered status in court if necessary.
297 @strong{Before} incorporating significant changes, make sure that the
298 person who wrote the changes has signed copyright papers and that the
299 Free Software Foundation has received and signed them. We may also need
300 an employer's disclaimer from the person's employer.
302 @cindex data base of GNU copyright assignments
303 To check whether papers have been received, look in
304 @file{/gd/gnuorg/copyright.list}. If you can't look there directly,
305 @email{fsf-records@@gnu.org} can check for you. Our clerk can also
306 check for papers that are waiting to be entered and inform you when
307 expected papers arrive.
309 @cindex @file{/gd/gnuorg} directory
310 @c This paragraph intentionally duplicates information given
311 @c near the beginning of the file--to make sure people don't miss it.
314 In order for the contributor to know person should sign papers, you need
315 to ask per for the necessary papers. If you don't know per well, and you
316 don't know that person is used to our ways of handling copyright papers,
317 then it might be a good idea to raise the subject with a message like
321 Would you be willing to assign the copyright to the Free Software
322 Foundation, so that we could install it in @var{package}?
329 Would you be willing to sign a copyright disclaimer to put this change
330 in the public domain, so that we can install it in @var{package}?
333 If the contributor then wants more information, you can send per the file
334 @file{/gd/gnuorg/conditions.text}, which explains per options (assign
335 vs.@: disclaim) and their consequences.
337 Once the conversation is under way and the contributor is ready for
338 more details, you should send one of the templates that are found in
339 the directory @file{/gd/gnuorg/Copyright/}; they are also available
340 from the @file{doc/Copyright/} directory of the @code{gnulib} project
341 at @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnulib}. This section
342 explains which templates you should use in which circumstances.
343 @strong{Please don't use any of the templates except for those listed
344 here, and please don't change the wording.}
346 Once the conversation is under way, you can send the contributor the
347 precise wording and instructions by email. Before you do this, make
348 sure to get the current version of the template you will use! We change
349 these templates occasionally---don't keep using an old version.
351 For large changes, ask the contributor for an assignment. Send per a
352 copy of the file @file{request-assign.changes}. (Like all the
353 @samp{request-} files, it is in @file{/gd/gnuorg/Copyright} and in
356 For medium to small changes, request a personal disclaimer by sending
357 per the file @file{request-disclaim.changes}.
359 If the contributor is likely to keep making changes, person might want
360 to sign an assignment for all per future changes to the program. So it
361 is useful to offer per that alternative. If person wants to do it that
362 way, send per the @file{request-assign.future}.
364 When you send a @file{request-} file, you don't need to fill in anything
365 before sending it. Just send the file verbatim to the contributor. The
366 file gives per instructions for how to ask the FSF to mail per the
367 papers to sign. The @file{request-} file also raises the issue of
368 getting an employer's disclaimer from the contributor's employer.
370 When the contributor emails the form to the FSF, the FSF sends per an
371 electronic (usually PDF) copy of the assignment. All contributors
372 then print the assignment and sign it. Contributors residing outside
373 the U.S. must mail the signed form to the FSF via the post.
374 Contributors located in the U.S. can then email or fax a scanned copy
375 back to the FSF (or use postal mail, if they prefer). (To emphasize,
376 the necessary distinction is between US residents and non-residents,
377 citizenship does not matter.)
379 For less common cases, we have template files you should send to the
380 contributor. Be sure to fill in the name of the person and the name
381 of the program in these templates, where it says @samp{NAME OF PERSON}
382 and @samp{NAME OF PROGRAM}, before sending; otherwise person might
383 sign without noticing them, and the papers would be useless. Note
384 that in some templates there is more than one place to put the name of
385 the program or the name of the person; be sure to change all of them.
386 All the templates raise the issue of an employer's disclaimer as well.
388 @cindex legal papers for changes in manuals
389 You do not need to ask for separate papers for a manual that is
390 distributed only in the software package it describes. But if we
391 sometimes distribute the manual separately (for instance, if we publish
392 it as a book), then we need separate legal papers for changes in the
393 manual. For smaller changes, use
394 @file{disclaim.changes.manual}; for larger ones, use
395 @file{assign.changes.manual}. To cover both past and future
396 changes to a manual, you can use @file{assign.future.manual}.
397 For a translation of a manual, use @file{assign.translation.manual}.
399 For translations of program strings (as used by GNU Gettext, for
400 example; @pxref{Internationalization,,, standards, GNU Coding
401 Standards}), use @file{disclaim.translation}. If you make use of the
402 Translation Project (@url{http://translationproject.org}) facilities,
403 please check with the TP coordinators that they have sent the
404 contributor the papers; if they haven't, then you should send the
405 papers. In any case, you should wait for the confirmation from the
406 FSF that the signed papers have been received and accepted before
407 integrating the new contributor's material, as usual.
409 If a contributor is reluctant to sign an assignment for a large change,
410 and is willing to sign a disclaimer instead, that is acceptable, so you
411 should offer this alternative if it helps you reach agreement. We
412 prefer an assignment for a larger change, so that we can enforce the GNU
413 GPL for the new text, but a disclaimer is enough to let us use the text.
415 If you maintain a collection of programs, occasionally someone will
416 contribute an entire separate program or manual that should be added to
417 the collection. Then you can use the files
418 @file{request-assign.program}, @file{disclaim.program},
419 @file{assign.manual}, and @file{disclaim.manual}. We very much prefer
420 an assignment for a new separate program or manual, unless it is quite
421 small, but a disclaimer is acceptable if the contributor insists on
422 handling the matter that way.
424 If a contributor wants the FSF to publish only a pseudonym, that is
425 ok. The contributor should say this, and state the desired pseudonym,
426 when answering the @file{request-} form. The actual legal papers will
427 use the real name, but the FSF will publish only the pseudonym. When
428 using one of the other forms, fill in the real name but ask the
429 contributor to discuss the use of a pseudonym with
430 @email{assign@@gnu.org} before sending back the signed form.
432 @strong{Although there are other templates besides the ones listed here,
433 they are for special circumstances; please do not use them without
434 getting advice from @email{assign@@gnu.org}.}
436 If you are not sure what to do, then please ask @email{assign@@gnu.org} for
437 advice; if the contributor asks you questions about the meaning and
438 consequences of the legal papers, and you don't know the answers, you
439 can forward them to @email{assign@@gnu.org} and we will answer.
441 @strong{Please do not try changing the wording of a template yourself.
442 If you think a change is needed, please talk with @email{assign@@gnu.org},
443 and we will work with a lawyer to decide what to do.}
445 @node Legally Significant
446 @section Legally Significant Changes
448 If a person contributes more than around 15 lines of code and/or text
449 that is legally significant for copyright purposes, we
450 need copyright papers for that contribution, as described above.
452 A change of just a few lines (less than 15 or so) is not legally
453 significant for copyright. A regular series of repeated changes, such
454 as renaming a symbol, is not legally significant even if the symbol
455 has to be renamed in many places. Keep in mind, however, that a
456 series of minor changes by the same person can add up to a significant
457 contribution. What counts is the total contribution of the person; it
458 is irrelevant which parts of it were contributed when.
460 Copyright does not cover ideas. If someone contributes ideas but no
461 text, these ideas may be morally significant as contributions, and
462 worth giving credit for, but they are not significant for copyright
463 purposes. Likewise, bug reports do not count for copyright purposes.
465 When giving credit to people whose contributions are not legally
466 significant for copyright purposes, be careful to make that fact
467 clear. The credit should clearly say they did not contribute
468 significant code or text.
470 When people's contributions are not legally significant because they
471 did not write code, do this by stating clearly what their contribution
472 was. For instance, you could write this:
477 * Richard Mlynarik <mly@@adoc.xerox.com> (1997)
478 * Masatake Yamato <masata-y@@is.aist-nara.ac.jp> (1999)
483 @code{Ideas by:} makes it clear that Mlynarik and Yamato here
484 contributed only ideas, not code. Without the @code{Ideas by:} note,
485 several years from now we would find it hard to be sure whether they
486 had contributed code, and we might have to track them down and ask
489 When you record a small patch in a change log file, first search for
490 previous changes by the same person, and see if per past
491 contributions, plus the new one, add up to something legally
492 significant. If so, you should get copyright papers for all per
493 changes before you install the new change.
495 If that is not so, you can install the small patch. Write @samp{(tiny
496 change)} after the patch author's name, like this:
499 2002-11-04 Robert Fenk <Robert.Fenk@@gmx.de> (tiny change)
502 @node Recording Contributors
503 @section Recording Contributors
504 @cindex recording contributors
506 @strong{Keep correct records of which portions were written by whom.}
507 This is very important. These records should say which files or
508 parts of files were written by each person, and which files or
509 parts of files were revised by each person. This should include
510 installation scripts as well as manuals and documentation
513 These records don't need to be as detailed as a change log. They
514 don't need to distinguish work done at different times, only different
515 people. They don't need describe changes in more detail than which
516 files or parts of a file were changed. And they don't need to say
517 anything about the function or purpose of a file or change---the
518 Register of Copyrights doesn't care what the text does, just who wrote
519 or contributed to which parts.
521 The list should also mention if certain files distributed in the same
522 package are really a separate program.
524 Only the contributions that are legally significant for copyright
525 purposes (@pxref{Legally Significant}) need to be listed. Small
526 contributions, bug reports, ideas, etc., can be omitted.
528 For example, this would describe an early version of GAS:
531 Dean Elsner first version of all files except gdb-lines.c and m68k.c.
532 Jay Fenlason entire files gdb-lines.c and m68k.c, most of app.c,
533 plus extensive changes in messages.c, input-file.c, write.c
534 and revisions elsewhere.
536 Note: GAS is distributed with the files obstack.c and obstack.h, but
537 they are considered a separate package, not part of GAS proper.
540 @cindex @file{AUTHORS} file
541 Please keep these records in a file named @file{AUTHORS} in the source
542 directory for the program itself.
544 You can use the change log as the basis for these records, if you
545 wish. Just make sure to record the correct author for each change
546 (the person who wrote the change, @emph{not} the person who installed
547 it), and add @samp{(tiny change)} for those changes that are too
548 trivial to matter for copyright purposes. Later on you can update the
549 @file{AUTHORS} file from the change log. This can even be done
550 automatically, if you are careful about the formatting of the change
553 It is ok to include other email addresses, names, and program
554 information in @file{AUTHORS}, such as bug-reporting information.
555 @xref{Standard Mailing Lists}.
558 @node Copying from Other Packages
559 @section Copying from Other Packages
561 When you copy legally significant code from another free software
562 package with a GPL-compatible license, you should look in the
563 package's records to find out the authors of the part you are copying,
564 and list them as the contributors of the code that you copied. If all
565 you did was copy it, not write it, then for copyright purposes you are
566 @emph{not} one of the contributors of @emph{this} code.
568 Especially when code has been released into the public domain, authors
569 sometimes fail to write a license statement in each file. In this
570 case, please first be sure that all the authors of the code have
571 disclaimed copyright interest. Then, when copying the new files into
572 your project, add a brief note at the beginning of the files recording
573 the authors, the public domain status, and anything else relevant.
575 On the other hand, when merging some public domain code into an
576 existing file covered by the GPL (or LGPL or other free software
577 license), there is no reason to indicate the pieces which are public
578 domain. The notice saying that the whole file is under the GPL (or
579 other license) is legally sufficient.
581 Using code that is released under a GPL-compatible free license,
582 rather than being in the public domain, may require preserving
583 copyright notices or other steps. Of course, you should do what is
586 If you are maintaining an FSF-copyrighted package, please verify we
587 have papers for the code you are copying, @emph{before} copying it.
588 If you are copying from another FSF-copyrighted package, then we
589 presumably have papers for that package's own code, but you must check
590 whether the code you are copying is part of an external library; if
591 that is the case, we don't have papers for it, so you should not copy
592 it. It can't hurt in any case to double-check with the developer of
595 When you are copying code for which we do not already have papers, you
596 need to get papers for it. It may be difficult to get the papers if
597 the code was not written as a contribution to your package, but that
598 doesn't mean it is ok to do without them. If you cannot get papers
599 for the code, you can only use it as an external library
600 (@pxref{External Libraries}).
603 @node Copyright Notices
604 @section Copyright Notices
605 @cindex copyright notices in program files
607 You should maintain a proper copyright notice and a license
608 notice in each nontrivial file in the package. (Any file more than ten
609 lines long is nontrivial for this purpose.) This includes header files
610 and interface definitions for
611 building or running the program, documentation files, and any supporting
612 files. If a file has been explicitly placed in the public domain, then
613 instead of a copyright notice, it should have a notice saying explicitly
614 that it is in the public domain.
616 Even image files and sound files should contain copyright notices and
617 license notices, if their format permits. Some formats do not have
618 room for textual annotations; for these files, state the copyright and
619 copying permissions in a @file{README} file in the same directory.
621 Change log files should have a copyright notice and license notice at
622 the end, since new material is added at the beginning but the end
625 When a file is automatically generated from some other file in the
626 distribution, it is useful for the automatic procedure to copy the
627 copyright notice and permission notice of the file it is generated
628 from, if possible. Alternatively, put a notice at the beginning saying
629 which file it is generated from.
631 A copyright notice looks like this:
634 Copyright (C) @var{year1}, @var{year2}, @var{year3} @var{copyright-holder}
637 The word @samp{Copyright} must always be in English, by international
640 The @var{copyright-holder} may be the Free Software Foundation, Inc., or
641 someone else; you should know who is the copyright holder for your
644 Replace the @samp{(C)} with a C-in-a-circle symbol if it is available.
645 For example, use @samp{@@copyright@{@}} in a Texinfo file. However,
646 stick with parenthesized @samp{C} unless you know that C-in-a-circle
647 will work. For example, a program's standard @option{--version}
648 message should use parenthesized @samp{C} by default, though message
649 translations may use C-in-a-circle in locales where that symbol is
650 known to work. Alternatively, the @samp{(C)} or C-in-a-circle can be
651 omitted entirely; the word @samp{Copyright} suffices.
653 To update the list of year numbers, add each year in which you have
654 made nontrivial changes to the package. (Here we assume you're using
655 a publicly accessible revision control server, so that every revision
656 installed is also immediately and automatically published.) When you
657 add the new year, it is not required to keep track of which files have
658 seen significant changes in the new year and which have not. It is
659 recommended and simpler to add the new year to all files in the
660 package, and be done with it for the rest of the year.
662 Don't delete old year numbers, though; they are significant since they
663 indicate when older versions might theoretically go into the public
664 domain, if the movie companies don't continue buying laws to further
665 extend copyright. If you copy a file into the package from some other
666 program, keep the copyright years that come with the file.
668 You can use a range (@samp{2008-2010}) instead of listing individual
669 years (@samp{2008, 2009, 2010}) if and only if: 1)@tie{}every year in
670 the range, inclusive, really is a ``copyrightable'' year that would be
671 listed individually; @emph{and} 2)@tie{}you make an explicit statement
672 in a @file{README} file about this usage.
674 For files which are regularly copied from another project (such as
675 @samp{gnulib}), leave the copyright notice as it is in the original.
677 The copyright statement may be split across multiple lines, both in
678 source files and in any generated output. This often happens for
679 files with a long history, having many different years of
682 For an FSF-copyrighted package, if you have followed the procedures to
683 obtain legal papers, each file should have just one copyright holder:
684 the Free Software Foundation, Inc. You should edit the file's
685 copyright notice to list that name and only that name.
687 But if contributors are not all assigning their copyrights to a single
688 copyright holder, it can easily happen that one file has several
689 copyright holders. Each contributor of nontrivial text is a copyright
692 In that case, you should always include a copyright notice in the name
693 of main copyright holder of the file. You can also include copyright
694 notices for other copyright holders as well, and this is a good idea
695 for those who have contributed a large amount and for those who
696 specifically ask for notices in their names. (Sometimes the license
697 on code that you copy in may require preserving certain copyright
698 notices.) But you don't have to include a notice for everyone who
699 contributed to the file (which would be rather inconvenient).
701 Sometimes a program has an overall copyright notice that refers to the
702 whole program. It might be in the @file{README} file, or it might be
703 displayed when the program starts up. This copyright notice should
704 mention the year of completion of the most recent major version; it
705 can mention years of completion of previous major versions, but that
709 @node License Notices
710 @section License Notices
711 @cindex license notices in program files
713 Every nontrivial file needs a license notice as well as the copyright
714 notice. (Without a license notice giving permission to copy and
715 change the file, the file is non-free.)
717 The package itself should contain a full copy of GPL in plain text
718 (conventionally in a file named @file{COPYING}) and the GNU Free
719 Documentation License (included within your documentation, so there is
720 no need for a separate plain text version). If the package contains
721 any files distributed under the Lesser GPL, it should contain a full
722 copy of its plain text version also (conventionally in a file named
723 @file{COPYING.LESSER}).
725 If you have questions about licensing issues for your GNU package,
726 please write @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
729 * Which: Licensing of GNU Packages.
730 * Canonical: Canonical License Sources.
731 * Code: License Notices for Code.
732 * Documentation: License Notices for Documentation.
733 * Other: License Notices for Other Files.
737 @node Licensing of GNU Packages
738 @subsection Licensing of GNU Packages
740 Normally, GNU packages should use the latest version of the GNU GPL,
741 with the ``or any later version'' formulation. @xref{License Notices
742 for Code}, for the exact wording of the license notice.
744 Occasionally, a GNU library may provide functionality which is already
745 widely available to proprietary programs through alternative
746 implementations; for example, the GNU C Library. In such cases, the
747 Lesser GPL should be used (again, for the notice wording,
748 @pxref{License Notices for Code}). If a GNU library provides unique
749 functionality, however, the GNU GPL should be used.
750 @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/why-not-lgpl.html} discusses this
753 Some of these libraries need to work with programs released under
754 GPLv2-only; that is, which allow the GNU GPL version 2 but not later
755 versions. In this case, the GNU package should be released under a
756 dual license: GNU GPL version 2 (or any later version) and the GNU
757 Lesser GPL version 3 (or any later version). Here is the notice for
761 This file is part of GNU @var{package}.
763 GNU @var{package} is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
764 modify it under the terms of either:
766 * the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
767 Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at your
768 option) any later version.
772 * the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
773 Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
774 option) any later version.
776 or both in parallel, as here.
778 GNU @var{package} is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
779 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
780 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
781 General Public License for more details.
783 You should have received copies of the GNU General Public License and
784 the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this program. If
785 not, see @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/}.
788 For small packages, you can use ``This program'' instead of ``GNU
792 @node Canonical License Sources
793 @subsection Canonical License Sources
795 You can get the official versions of these files from several places.
796 You can use whichever is the most convenient for you.
800 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/}.
803 The @code{gnulib} project on @code{savannah.gnu.org}, which you
804 can access via anonymous Git or CVS. See
805 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnulib}.
809 The official Texinfo sources for the licenses are also available in
810 those same places, so you can include them in your documentation. A
811 GFDL-covered manual should include the GFDL in this way. @xref{GNU
812 Sample Texts,,, texinfo, Texinfo}, for a full example in a Texinfo
816 @node License Notices for Code
817 @subsection License Notices for Code
819 Typically the license notice for program files (including build scripts,
820 configure files and makefiles) should cite the GPL, like this:
823 This file is part of GNU @var{package}.
825 GNU @var{package} is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
826 modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
827 published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
828 License, or (at your option) any later version.
830 GNU @var{package} is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
831 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
832 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
833 GNU General Public License for more details.
835 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
836 along with this program. If not, see @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/}.
839 But in a small program which is just a few files, you can use
843 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
844 it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
845 the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
846 (at your option) any later version.
848 This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
849 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
850 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
851 GNU General Public License for more details.
853 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
854 along with this program. If not, see @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/}.
857 In either case, for those few packages which use the Lesser GPL
858 (@pxref{Licensing of GNU Packages}), insert the word ``Lesser'' before
859 ``General'' in @emph{all three} places.
860 @url{http://@/www.gnu.org/@/licenses/@/gpl-howto.html} discusses application
861 the GPL in more detail.
864 @node License Notices for Documentation
865 @subsection License Notices for Documentation
867 Documentation files should have license notices also. Manuals should
868 use the GNU Free Documentation License. Following is an example of the
869 license notice to use after the copyright line(s) using all the
870 features of the GFDL.
873 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
874 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
875 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
876 Invariant Sections being ``GNU General Public License'', with the
877 Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts
878 as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section
879 entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
881 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to
882 copy and modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF
883 supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
886 If the FSF does not publish this manual on paper, then omit the last
887 sentence in (a) that talks about copies from GNU Press. If the FSF is
888 not the copyright holder, then replace @samp{FSF} with the appropriate
891 Please adjust the list of invariant sections as appropriate for your
892 manual. If there are none, then say ``with no Invariant Sections''.
893 If your manual is not published by the FSF, and under 400 pages, you
894 can omit both cover texts.
896 @xref{GNU Sample Texts,,, texinfo, Texinfo}, for a full example in a
897 Texinfo manual, and see
898 @url{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl-howto.html} for more advice about
899 how to use the GNU FDL.
901 If you write a manual that people might want to buy on paper, please
902 write to @email{maintainers@@gnu.org} to tell the FSF about it. We
903 might want to publish it.
905 If the manual is over 400 pages, or if the FSF thinks it might be a
906 good choice for publishing on paper, then please include the GNU GPL,
907 as in the notice above. Please also include our standard invariant
908 section which explains the importance of free documentation. Write to
909 @email{assign@@gnu.org} to get a copy of this section.
911 When you distribute several manuals together in one software package,
912 their on-line forms can share a single copy of the GFDL (see
913 section@tie{}6). However, the printed (@samp{.dvi}, @samp{.pdf},
914 @dots{}) forms should each contain a copy of the GFDL, unless they are
915 set up to be printed and published only together. Therefore, it is
916 usually simplest to include the GFDL in each manual.
919 @node License Notices for Other Files
920 @subsection License Notices for Other Files
922 Small supporting files, short manuals (under 300 lines long) and rough
923 documentation (@file{README} files, @file{INSTALL} files, etc.)@: can
924 use a simple all-permissive license like this one:
927 Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification,
928 are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright
929 notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is,
930 without any warranty.
933 Older versions of this license did not have the second sentence with
934 the express warranty disclaimer. There is no urgent need to update
935 existing files, but new files should use the new text.
937 If your package distributes Autoconf macros that are intended to be
938 used (hence distributed) by third-party packages under possibly
939 incompatible licenses, you may also use the above all-permissive
940 license for these macros.
943 @node External Libraries
944 @section External Libraries
946 When maintaining an FSF-copyrighted GNU package, you may occasionally
947 want to use a general-purpose free software module which offers a
948 useful functionality, as a ``library'' facility (though the module is
949 not always packaged technically as a library).
951 In a case like this, it would be unreasonable to ask the author of that
952 module to assign the copyright to the FSF. After all, person did not
953 write it specifically as a contribution to your package, so it would be
954 impertinent to ask per, out of the blue, ``Please give the FSF your
957 So the thing to do in this case is to make your program use the module,
958 but not consider it a part of your program. There are two reasonable
959 methods of doing this:
963 Assume the module is already installed on the system, and use it when
964 linking your program. This is only reasonable if the module really has
965 the form of a library.
968 Include the module in your package, putting the source in a separate
969 subdirectory whose @file{README} file says, ``This is not part of the
970 GNU FOO program, but is used with GNU FOO.'' Then set up your makefiles
971 to build this module and link it into the executable.
973 For this method, it is not necessary to treat the module as a library
974 and make a @samp{.a} file from it. You can link with the @samp{.o}
975 files directly in the usual manner.
978 Both of these methods create an irregularity, and our lawyers have told
979 us to minimize the amount of such irregularity. So consider using these
980 methods only for general-purpose modules that were written for other
981 programs and released separately for general use. For anything that was
982 written as a contribution to your package, please get papers signed.
986 @chapter Cleaning Up Changes
987 @cindex contributions, accepting
988 @cindex quality of changes suggested by others
990 Don't feel obligated to include every change that someone asks you to
991 include. You must judge which changes are improvements---partly based
992 on what you think the users will like, and partly based on your own
993 judgment of what is better. If you think a change is not good, you
996 If someone sends you changes which are useful, but written in an ugly
997 way or hard to understand and maintain in the future, don't hesitate to
998 ask per to clean up their changes before you merge them. Since the
999 amount of work we can do is limited, the more we convince others to help
1000 us work efficiently, the faster GNU will advance.
1002 If the contributor will not or can not make the changes clean enough,
1003 then it is legitimate to say ``I can't install this in its present form;
1004 I can only do so if you clean it up.'' Invite per to distribute per
1005 changes another way, or to find other people to make them clean enough
1006 for you to install and maintain.
1008 The only reason to do these cleanups yourself is if (1) it is easy, less
1009 work than telling the author what to clean up, or (2) the change is an
1010 important one, important enough to be worth the work of cleaning it up.
1012 The GNU Coding Standards are a good thing to send people when you ask
1013 them to clean up changes (@pxref{Top, , Contents, standards, GNU Coding
1014 Standards}). The Emacs Lisp manual contains an appendix that gives
1015 coding standards for Emacs Lisp programs; it is good to urge Lisp authors to
1016 read it (@pxref{Tips, , Tips and Conventions, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
1021 @chapter Platforms to Support
1023 Most GNU packages run on a wide range of platforms. These platforms are
1024 not equally important.
1026 The most important platforms for a GNU package to support are GNU and
1027 GNU/Linux. Developing the GNU operating system is the whole point of
1028 the GNU Project; a GNU package exists to make the whole GNU system more
1029 powerful. So please keep that goal in mind and let it shape your work.
1030 For instance, every new feature you add should work on GNU, and
1031 GNU/Linux if possible too. If a new feature only runs on GNU and
1032 GNU/Linux, it could still be acceptable. However, a feature that runs
1033 only on other systems and not on GNU or GNU/Linux makes no sense in a
1036 You will naturally want to keep the program running on all the platforms
1037 it supports. But you personally will not have access to most of these
1038 platforms---so how should you do it?
1040 Don't worry about trying to get access to all of these platforms. Even
1041 if you did have access to all the platforms, it would be inefficient for
1042 you to test the program on each platform yourself. Instead, you should
1043 test the program on a few platforms, including GNU or GNU/Linux, and let
1044 the users test it on the other platforms. You can do this through a
1045 pretest phase before the real release; when there is no reason to expect
1046 problems, in a package that is mostly portable, you can just make a
1047 release and let the users tell you if anything unportable was
1050 It is important to test the program personally on GNU or GNU/Linux,
1051 because these are the most important platforms for a GNU package. If
1052 you don't have access to one of these platforms, as a GNU maintainer
1053 you can get access to the general GNU login machine; see
1054 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/README.accounts.html}.
1056 Supporting other platforms is optional---we do it when that seems like
1057 a good idea, but we don't consider it obligatory. If the users don't
1058 take care of a certain platform, you may have to desupport it unless
1059 and until users come forward to help. Conversely, if a user offers
1060 changes to support an additional platform, you will probably want to
1061 install them, but you don't have to. If you feel the changes are
1062 complex and ugly, if you think that they will increase the burden of
1063 future maintenance, you can and should reject them. This includes
1064 both free or mainly-free platforms such as OpenBSD, FreeBSD, and
1065 NetBSD, and non-free platforms such as Windows.
1069 @chapter Dealing With Mail
1072 This chapter describes setting up mailing lists for your package, and
1073 gives advice on how to handle bug reports and random requests once you
1077 * Standard Mailing Lists:: @samp{bug-pkg@@gnu.org} and other standard names.
1078 * Creating Mailing Lists:: The best way is to use Savannah.
1079 * Replying to Mail:: Advice on replying to incoming mail.
1083 @node Standard Mailing Lists
1084 @section Standard Mailing Lists
1086 @cindex standard mailing lists
1087 @cindex mailing lists, standard names of
1089 @cindex mailing list for bug reports
1090 Once a program is in use, you will get bug reports for it. Most GNU
1091 programs have their own special lists for sending bug reports. The
1092 advertised bug-reporting email address should always be
1093 @samp{bug-@var{package}@@gnu.org}, to help show users that the program
1094 is a GNU package, but it is ok to set up that list to forward to another
1097 @cindex @email{bug-gnu-utils@@gnu.org}
1098 We also have a catch-all list, @email{bug-gnu-utils@@gnu.org}, which is
1099 used for all GNU programs that don't have their own specific lists. But
1100 nowadays we want to give each program its own bug-reporting list and
1101 move away from using @email{bug-gnu-utils}.
1103 @xref{Replying to Mail}, for more about handling and tracking bug
1106 @cindex help for users, mailing list for
1107 Some GNU programs with many users have another mailing list,
1108 @samp{help-@var{package}.org}, for people to ask other users for help.
1109 If your program has many users, you should create such a list for it.
1110 For a fairly new program, which doesn't have a large user base yet, it
1111 is better not to bother with this.
1113 @cindex announcements, mailing list for
1114 If you wish, you can also have a mailing list
1115 @samp{info-@var{package}} for announcements (@pxref{Announcements}).
1116 Any other mailing lists you find useful can also be created.
1118 The package distribution should state the name of all the package's
1119 mailing lists in a prominent place, and ask users to help us by
1120 reporting bugs appropriately. The top-level @file{README} file and/or
1121 @file{AUTHORS} file are good places. Mailing list information should
1122 also be included in the manual and the package web pages (@pxref{Web
1127 @node Creating Mailing Lists
1128 @section Creating Mailing Lists
1130 @cindex creating mailing lists
1131 @cindex mailing lists, creating
1133 Using the web interface on @code{savannah.gnu.org} is by far the
1134 easiest way to create normal mailing lists, managed through Mailman on
1135 the GNU mail server. Once you register your package on Savannah, you
1136 can create (and remove) lists yourself through the `Mailing Lists'
1137 menu, without needing to wait for intervention by anyone else.
1138 Furthermore, lists created through Savannah will have a reasonable
1139 default configuration for antispam purposes (see below).
1141 To create and maintain simple aliases and unmanaged lists, you can
1142 edit @file{/com/mailer/aliases} on the main GNU server. If you don't
1143 have an account there, please read
1144 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/README.accounts.html} (@pxref{GNU
1145 Accounts and Resources}).
1147 But if you don't want to learn how to do those things, you can
1148 alternatively ask @email{alias-file@@gnu.org} to add you to the
1149 bug-reporting list for your program. To set up a new list, contact
1150 @email{new-mailing-list@@gnu.org}. You can subscribe to a list managed
1151 by Mailman by sending mail to the corresponding @samp{-request} address.
1153 @cindex spam prevention
1154 You should moderate postings from non-subscribed addresses on your
1155 mailing lists, to prevent propagation of unwanted messages (``spam'')
1156 to subscribers and to the list archives. For lists controlled by
1157 Mailman, you can do this by setting @code{Privacy Options - Sender
1158 Filter - generic_nonmember_action} to @code{Hold}, and then
1159 periodically (daily is best) reviewing the held messages, accepting
1160 the real ones and discarding the junk.
1162 Lists created through Savannah will have this setting, and a number of
1163 others, such that spam will be automatically deleted (after a short
1164 delay). The Savannah mailing list page describes all the details.
1165 You should still review the held messages in order to approve any that
1169 @node Replying to Mail
1170 @section Replying to Mail
1172 @cindex responding to bug reports
1173 @cindex bug reports, handling
1174 @cindex help requests, handling
1176 When you receive bug reports, keep in mind that bug reports are crucial
1177 for your work. If you don't know about problems, you cannot fix them.
1178 So always thank each person who sends a bug report.
1180 You don't have an obligation to give more response than that, though.
1181 The main purpose of bug reports is to help you contribute to the
1182 community by improving the next version of the program. Many of the
1183 people who report bugs don't realize this---they think that the point is
1184 for you to help them individually. Some will ask you to focus on that
1185 @emph{instead of} on making the program better. If you comply with
1186 their wishes, you will have been distracted from the job of maintaining
1189 For example, people sometimes report a bug in a vague (and therefore
1190 useless) way, and when you ask for more information, they say, ``I just
1191 wanted to see if you already knew the solution'' (in which case the bug
1192 report would do nothing to help improve the program). When this
1193 happens, you should explain to them the real purpose of bug reports. (A
1194 canned explanation will make this more efficient.)
1196 When people ask you to put your time into helping them use the program,
1197 it may seem ``helpful'' to do what they ask. But it is much @emph{less}
1198 helpful than improving the program, which is the maintainer's real job.
1200 By all means help individual users when you feel like it, if you feel
1201 you have the time available. But be careful to limit the amount of time
1202 you spend doing this---don't let it eat away the time you need to
1203 maintain the program! Know how to say no; when you are pressed for
1204 time, just ``thanks for the bug report---I will fix it'' is enough
1207 Some GNU packages, such as Emacs and GCC, come with advice about how
1208 to make bug reports useful. Copying and adapting that could be very
1209 useful for your package.
1211 @cindex @url{http://bugs.gnu.org}
1212 @cindex bug reports, email tracker for
1213 @cindex bug reports, web tracker for
1214 If you would like to use an email-based bug tracking system, see
1215 @url{http://bugs.gnu.org}; this can be connected with the regular
1216 bug-reporting address. Alternatively, if you would like to use a
1217 web-based bug tracking system, Savannah supports this (@pxref{Old
1218 Versions}), but please don't fail to accept bugs by regular email as
1219 well---we don't want to put up unnecessary barriers against users
1224 @chapter Recording Old Versions
1225 @cindex version control
1227 It is very important to keep backup files of all source files of GNU.
1228 You can do this using a source control system (such as Bazaar, RCS,
1229 CVS, Git, Subversion, @dots{}) if you like. An easy way to use
1230 many such systems is via the Version Control library in Emacs
1231 (@pxref{Introduction to VC,, Introduction to Version Control, emacs,
1232 The GNU Emacs Manual}).
1234 The history of previous revisions and log entries is very important for
1235 future maintainers of the package, so even if you do not make it
1236 publicly accessible, be careful not to put anything in the repository or
1237 change log that you would not want to hand over to another maintainer
1240 @cindex @code{savannah-hackers@@gnu.org}
1241 The GNU Project provides a server that GNU packages can use
1242 for source control and other package needs: @code{savannah.gnu.org}.
1243 Savannah is managed by @email{savannah-hackers@@gnu.org}. For more
1244 details on using and contributing to Savannah, see
1245 @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/maintenance}.
1247 It's not an absolute requirement, but all GNU maintainers are strongly
1248 encouraged to take advantage of Savannah, as sharing such a central
1249 point can serve to foster a sense of community among GNU developers as
1250 well as help in keeping up with project management. Please don't mark
1251 Savannah projects for GNU packages as private; that defeats a large
1252 part of the purpose of using Savannah in the first place.
1254 @cindex @code{savannah-announce@@gnu.org} mailing list
1255 If you do use Savannah, please subscribe to the
1256 @email{savannah-announce@@gnu.org} mailing list
1257 (@url{http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/savannah-announce}). This
1258 is a very low-volume list to keep Savannah users informed of system
1259 upgrades, problems, and the like.
1263 @chapter Distributions
1265 Please follow the GNU conventions when making GNU software
1269 * Distribution tar Files::
1270 * Distribution Patches::
1271 * Distribution on ftp.gnu.org::
1273 * Automated FTP Uploads::
1277 @node Distribution tar Files
1278 @section Distribution tar Files
1279 @cindex distribution, tar files
1281 The tar file for version @var{m}.@var{n} of program @code{foo} should be
1282 named @file{foo-@var{m}.@var{n}.tar}. It should unpack into a
1283 subdirectory named @file{foo-@var{m}.@var{n}}. Tar files should not
1284 unpack into files in the current directory, because this is inconvenient
1285 if the user happens to unpack into a directory with other files in it.
1287 Here is how the @file{Makefile} for Bison creates the tar file.
1288 This method is good for other programs.
1292 echo bison-`sed -e '/version_string/!d' \
1293 -e 's/[^0-9.]*\([0-9.]*\).*/\1/' -e q version.c` > .fname
1294 -rm -rf `cat .fname`
1296 dst=`cat .fname`; for f in $(DISTFILES); do \
1297 ln $(srcdir)/$$f $$dst/$$f || @{ echo copying $$f; \
1298 cp -p $(srcdir)/$$f $$dst/$$f ; @} \
1300 tar --gzip -chf `cat .fname`.tar.gz `cat .fname`
1301 -rm -rf `cat .fname` .fname
1304 Source files that are symbolic links to other file systems cannot be
1305 installed in the temporary directory using @code{ln}, so use @code{cp}
1309 Using Automake is a good way to take care of writing the @code{dist}
1312 @node Distribution Patches
1313 @section Distribution Patches
1314 @cindex patches, against previous releases
1316 If the program is large, it is useful to make a set of diffs for each
1317 release, against the previous important release.
1319 At the front of the set of diffs, put a short explanation of which
1320 version this is for and which previous version it is relative to.
1321 Also explain what else people need to do to update the sources
1322 properly (for example, delete or rename certain files before
1323 installing the diffs).
1325 The purpose of having diffs is that they are small. To keep them
1326 small, exclude files that the user can easily update. For example,
1327 exclude info files, DVI files, tags tables, output files of Bison or
1328 Flex. In Emacs diffs, we exclude compiled Lisp files, leaving it up
1329 to the installer to recompile the patched sources.
1331 When you make the diffs, each version should be in a directory suitably
1332 named---for example, @file{gcc-2.3.2} and @file{gcc-2.3.3}. This way,
1333 it will be very clear from the diffs themselves which version is which.
1337 @cindex time stamp in diffs
1338 If you use GNU @code{diff} to make the patch, use the options
1339 @samp{-rc2P}. That will put any new files into the output as ``entirely
1340 different''. Also, the patch's context diff headers should have dates
1341 and times in Universal Time using traditional Unix format, so that patch
1342 recipients can use GNU @code{patch}'s @samp{-Z} option. For example,
1343 you could use the following Bourne shell command to create the patch:
1346 LC_ALL=C TZ=UTC0 diff -rc2P gcc-2.3.2 gcc-2.3.3 | \
1347 gzip -9 >gcc-2.3.2-2.3.3.patch.gz
1350 If the distribution has subdirectories in it, then the diffs probably
1351 include some files in the subdirectories. To help users install such
1352 patches reliably, give them precise directions for how to run patch.
1353 For example, say this:
1356 To apply these patches, cd to the main directory of the program
1357 and then use `patch -p1'. `-p1' avoids guesswork in choosing
1358 which subdirectory to find each file in.
1361 It's wise to test your patch by applying it to a copy of the old
1362 version, and checking that the result exactly matches the new version.
1364 @node Distribution on ftp.gnu.org
1365 @section Distribution on @code{ftp.gnu.org}
1366 @cindex GNU ftp site
1367 @cindex @code{ftp.gnu.org}, the GNU release site
1369 GNU packages are distributed through the directory @file{/gnu} on
1370 @code{ftp.gnu.org}, via both HTTP and FTP. Each package should have a
1371 subdirectory named after the package, and all the distribution files
1372 for the package should go in that subdirectory.
1374 @xref{Automated FTP Uploads}, for procedural details of putting new
1375 versions on @code{ftp.gnu.org}.
1378 @section Test Releases
1379 @cindex test releases
1380 @cindex beta releases
1381 @cindex pretest releases
1383 @cindex @code{alpha.gnu.org}, test release site
1384 When you release a greatly changed new major version of a program, you
1385 might want to do so as a pretest. This means that you make a tar file,
1386 but send it only to a group of volunteers that you have recruited. (Use
1387 a suitable GNU mailing list/newsgroup to recruit them.)
1389 We normally use the server @code{alpha.gnu.org} for pretests and
1390 prerelease versions. @xref{Automated FTP Uploads}, for procedural details
1391 of putting new versions on @code{alpha.gnu.org}.
1393 Once a program gets to be widely used and people expect it to work
1394 solidly, it is a good idea to do pretest releases before each ``real''
1397 There are two ways of handling version numbers for pretest versions.
1398 One method is to treat them as versions preceding the release you are going
1401 In this method, if you are about to release version 4.6 but you want
1402 to do a pretest first, call it 4.5.90. If you need a second pretest,
1403 call it 4.5.91, and so on. If you are really unlucky and ten pretests
1404 are not enough, after 4.5.99 you could advance to 4.5.990 and so on.
1405 (You could also use 4.5.100, but 990 has the advantage of sorting in
1408 The other method is to attach a date to the release number that is
1409 coming. For a pretest for version 4.6, made on Dec 10, 2002, this
1410 would be 4.6.20021210. A second pretest made the same day could be
1413 For development snapshots that are not formal pretests, using just
1414 the date without the version numbers is ok too.
1416 One thing that you should never do is to release a pretest with the same
1417 version number as the planned real release. Many people will look only
1418 at the version number (in the tar file name, in the directory name that
1419 it unpacks into, or wherever they can find it) to determine whether a
1420 tar file is the latest version. People might look at the test release
1421 in this way and mistake it for the real release. Therefore, always
1422 change the number when you release changed code.
1425 @node Automated FTP Uploads
1426 @section Automated FTP Uploads
1428 @cindex ftp uploads, automated
1429 In order to upload new releases to @code{ftp.gnu.org} or
1430 @code{alpha.gnu.org}, you first need to register the necessary
1431 information. Then, you can perform uploads yourself, with no
1432 intervention needed by the system administrators.
1434 The general idea is that releases should be cryptographically signed
1435 before they are made publicly available.
1438 * Automated Upload Registration::
1439 * Automated Upload Procedure::
1440 * FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1::
1441 * FTP Upload Directive File - v1.0::
1445 @node Automated Upload Registration
1446 @subsection Automated Upload Registration
1448 @cindex registration for uploads
1449 @cindex uploads, registration for
1451 Here is how to register your information so you can perform uploads
1452 for your GNU package:
1457 Create an account for yourself at @url{http://savannah.gnu.org}, if
1458 you don't already have one. By the way, this is also needed to
1459 maintain the web pages at @url{http://www.gnu.org} for your project
1460 (@pxref{Web Pages}).
1463 In the @samp{My Account Conf} page on @code{savannah}, upload the GPG
1464 key you will use to sign your packages. If you haven't created one
1465 before, you can do so with the command @code{gpg --gen-key} (you can
1466 accept all the default answers to its questions).
1468 Optional but recommended: Send your key to a GPG public key server:
1469 @code{gpg --keyserver keys.gnupg.net --send-keys @var{keyid}}, where
1470 @var{keyid} is the eight hex digits reported by @code{gpg
1471 --list-public-keys} on the @code{pub} line before the date. For full
1472 information about GPG, see @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/gpg}.
1475 Compose a message with the following items in some @var{msgfile}.
1476 Then GPG-sign it by running @code{gpg --clearsign @var{msgfile}}, and
1477 finally email the resulting @file{@var{msgfile}.asc} to
1478 @email{ftp-upload@@gnu.org}.
1482 Name of package(s) that you are the maintainer for, your
1483 preferred email address, and your Savannah username.
1486 An ASCII armored copy of your GPG key, as an attachment. (@samp{gpg
1487 --export -a @var{your_key_id} >mykey.asc} should give you this.)
1490 A list of names and preferred email addresses of other individuals you
1491 authorize to make releases for which packages, if any (in the case that you
1492 don't make all releases yourself).
1495 ASCII armored copies of GPG keys for any individuals listed in (3).
1499 The administrators will acknowledge your message when they have added
1500 the proper GPG keys as authorized to upload files for the
1501 corresponding packages.
1503 The upload system will email receipts to the given email addresses
1504 when an upload is made, either successfully or unsuccessfully.
1507 @node Automated Upload Procedure
1508 @subsection Automated Upload Procedure
1512 Once you have registered your information as described in the previous
1513 section, you will be able to do ftp uploads for yourself using the
1514 following procedure.
1516 For each upload destined for @code{ftp.gnu.org} or
1517 @code{alpha.gnu.org}, three files (a @dfn{triplet}) need to be
1518 uploaded via ftp to the host @code{ftp-upload.gnu.org}.
1522 The file to be distributed; for example, @file{foo.tar.gz}.
1525 Detached GPG binary signature file for (1); for example,
1526 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig}. Make this with @samp{gpg -b foo.tar.gz}.
1529 A clearsigned @dfn{directive file}; for example,
1530 @file{foo.tar.gz.directive.asc}. Make this by preparing the plain
1531 text file @file{foo.tar.gz.directive} and then run @samp{gpg
1532 --clearsign foo.tar.gz.directive}. @xref{FTP Upload Directive File -
1533 v1.1}, for the contents of the directive file.
1536 The names of the files are important. The signature file must have the
1537 same name as the file to be distributed, with an additional
1538 @file{.sig} extension. The directive file must have the same name as
1539 the file to be distributed, with an additional @file{.directive.asc}
1540 extension. If you do not follow this naming convention, the upload
1541 @emph{will not be processed}.
1543 Since v1.1 of the upload script, it is also possible to upload a
1544 clearsigned directive file on its own (no accompanying @file{.sig} or
1545 any other file) to perform certain operations on the server.
1546 @xref{FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1}, for more information.
1548 Upload the file(s) via anonymous ftp to @code{ftp-upload.gnu.org}. If
1549 the upload is destined for @code{ftp.gnu.org}, place the file(s) in
1550 the @file{/incoming/ftp} directory. If the upload is destined for
1551 @code{alpha.gnu.org}, place the file(s) in the @file{/incoming/alpha}
1554 Uploads are processed every five minutes. Uploads that are in
1555 progress while the upload processing script is running are handled
1556 properly, so do not worry about the timing of your upload. Uploaded
1557 files that belong to an incomplete triplet are deleted automatically
1560 Your designated upload email addresses (@pxref{Automated Upload Registration})
1561 are sent a message if there are any problems processing an upload for your
1562 package. You also receive a message when your upload has been successfully
1565 One automated way to create and transfer the necessary files is to use
1566 the @code{gnupload} script, which is available from the
1567 @file{build-aux/} directory of the @code{gnulib} project at
1568 @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnulib}. @code{gnupload} can
1569 also remove uploaded files. Run @code{gnupload --help} for a
1570 description and examples.
1572 @code{gnupload} uses the @code{ncftpput} program to do the actual
1573 transfers; if you don't happen to have the @code{ncftp} package
1574 installed, the @code{ncftpput-ftp} script in the @file{build-aux/}
1575 directory of @code{gnulib} serves as a replacement which uses plain
1576 command line @code{ftp}.
1578 If you have difficulties with an upload, email
1579 @email{ftp-upload@@gnu.org}. You can check the archive of uploads
1581 @url{https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/ftp-upload-report}.
1584 @node FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1
1585 @subsection FTP Upload Directive File - v1.1
1587 The directive file name must end in @file{directive.asc}.
1589 When part of a triplet, the directive file must always contain the
1590 directives @code{version}, @code{directory} and @code{filename}, as
1591 described. In addition, a 'comment' directive is allowed.
1593 The @code{version} directive must always have the value @samp{1.1}.
1595 The @code{directory} directive specifies the final destination
1596 directory where the uploaded file and its @file{.sig} companion are to
1599 The @code{filename} directive must contain the name of the file to be
1600 distributed (item@tie{}(1) above).
1602 For example, as part of an uploaded triplet, a
1603 @file{foo.tar.gz.directive.asc} file might contain these lines (before
1604 being gpg clearsigned):
1609 filename: foo.tar.gz
1610 comment: hello world!
1613 This directory line indicates that @file{foo.tar.gz} and
1614 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} are part of package @code{bar}. If you uploaded
1615 this triplet to @file{/incoming/ftp} and the system positively
1616 authenticates the signatures, the files @file{foo.tar.gz} and
1617 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} will be placed in the directory
1618 @file{gnu/bar/v1} of the @code{ftp.gnu.org} site.
1620 The directive file can be used to create currently non-existent
1621 directory trees, as long as they are under the package directory for
1622 your package (in the example above, that is @code{bar}).
1624 If you upload a file that already exists in the FTP directory, the
1625 original will simply be archived and replaced with the new upload.
1627 @subheading Standalone directives
1629 When uploaded by itself, the directive file must contain one or more
1630 of the directives @code{symlink}, @code{rmsymlink} or @code{archive},
1631 in addition to the obligatory @code{directory} and @code{version}
1632 directives. A @code{filename} directive is not allowed, and a
1633 @code{comment} directive remains optional.
1635 If you use more than one directive, the directives are executed in the
1636 sequence they are specified in. If a directive results in an error,
1637 further execution of the upload is aborted.
1639 Removing a symbolic link (with @code{rmsymlink}) which does not exist
1640 results in an error. However, attempting to create a symbolic link
1641 that already exists (with @code{symlink}) is not an error. In this
1642 case @code{symlink} behaves like the command @command{ln -s -f}: any
1643 existing symlink is removed before creating the link. (But an
1644 existing regular file or directory is not removed.)
1646 Here are a few examples. The first removes a symlink:
1651 rmsymlink: foo-latest.tgz
1652 comment: remove a symlink
1656 Archive an old file, taking it offline:
1661 archive: foo-1.1.tar.gz
1662 comment: archive an old file; it will not be
1663 comment: available through FTP any more.
1667 Archive an old directory (with all contents), taking it offline:
1673 comment: archive an old directory; it and its entire
1674 comment: contents will not be available through FTP anymore
1678 Create a new symlink:
1683 symlink: foo-1.2.tar.gz foo-latest.tgz
1684 comment: create a new symlink
1688 Do everything at once:
1693 rmsymlink: foo-latest.tgz
1694 symlink: foo-1.2.tar.gz foo-latest.tgz
1695 archive: foo-1.1.tar.gz
1696 comment: now do everything at once
1700 @node FTP Upload Directive File - v1.0
1701 @subsection FTP Upload Directive File - v1.0
1703 @dfn{As of June 2006, the upload script is running in compatibility
1704 mode, allowing uploads with either version@tie{}1.1 or
1705 version@tie{}1.0 of the directive file syntax. Support for v1.0
1706 uploads will be phased out by the end of 2006, so please upgrade
1709 The directive file should contain one line, excluding the clearsigned
1710 data GPG that inserts, which specifies the final destination directory
1711 where items (1) and (2) are to be placed.
1713 For example, the @file{foo.tar.gz.directive.asc} file might contain the
1720 This directory line indicates that @file{foo.tar.gz} and
1721 @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} are part of package @code{bar}. If you were to
1722 upload the triplet to @file{/incoming/ftp}, and the system can
1723 positively authenticate the signatures, then the files
1724 @file{foo.tar.gz} and @file{foo.tar.gz.sig} will be placed in the
1725 directory @file{gnu/bar/v1} of the @code{ftp.gnu.org} site.
1727 The directive file can be used to create currently non-existent
1728 directory trees, as long as they are under the package directory for
1729 your package (in the example above, that is @code{bar}).
1733 @section Announcing Releases
1734 @cindex announcements
1736 @cindex @code{info-gnu} mailing list
1737 When you have a new release, please make an announcement. For
1738 official new releases, including those made just to fix bugs, we
1739 strongly recommend using the (moderated) general GNU announcements
1740 list, @email{info-gnu@@gnu.org}. Doing so makes it easier for users
1741 and developers to find the latest GNU releases. On the other hand,
1742 please do not announce test releases on @code{info-gnu} unless it's a
1743 highly unusual situation.
1745 @cindex @url{http://planet.gnu.org}
1746 @cindex Savannah, news area
1747 Please also post release announcements in the news section of your
1748 Savannah project site. Here, it is fine to also write news entries
1749 for test releases and any other newsworthy events. The news feeds
1750 from all GNU projects at savannah are aggregated at
1751 @url{http://planet.gnu.org} (GNU Planet). You can also post items
1752 directly, or arrange for feeds from other locations; see information
1753 on the GNU Planet web page.
1755 @cindex announcement mailing list, project-specific
1756 You can maintain your own mailing list (typically
1757 @email{info-@var{package}@@gnu.org}) for announcements as well if you
1758 like. For your own list, of course you decide as you see fit what
1759 events are worth announcing. (@xref{Mail}, for setting this up, and
1760 more suggestions on handling mail for your package.)
1762 @cindex contents of announcements
1763 When writing an announcement, please include the following:
1767 A very brief description (a few sentences at most) of the general
1768 purpose of your package.
1771 Your package's web page (normally
1772 @indicateurl{http://www.gnu.org/software/@var{package}/}).
1775 Your package's download location (normally
1776 @indicateurl{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/@var{package}/}). It is also
1777 useful to mention the mirror list at
1778 @url{http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html}, and that
1779 @url{http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/@var{package/}} will automatically
1780 redirect to a nearby mirror.
1783 The @t{NEWS} (@pxref{NEWS File,,, standards, GNU Coding Standards}) for
1784 the present release.
1792 Please write web pages about your package, and install them on
1793 @code{www.gnu.org}. They should follow our usual standards for web
1794 pages (see @url{http://www.gnu.org/server/@/fsf-html-style-sheet.html}).
1795 The overall goals are to support a wide variety of browsers, to focus
1796 on information rather than flashy eye candy, and to keep the site
1799 We encourage you to use the standard @code{www.gnu.org} template as
1800 the basis for your pages:
1801 @url{http://www.gnu.org/server/@/standards/@/boilerplate-source.html}.
1803 Some GNU packages have just simple web pages, but the more information
1804 you provide, the better. So please write as much as you usefully can,
1805 and put all of it on @code{www.gnu.org}. However, pages that access
1806 databases (including mail archives and bug tracking) are an exception;
1807 set them up on whatever site is convenient for you, and make the pages
1808 on @code{www.gnu.org} link to that site.
1811 * Hosting for Web Pages::
1812 * Freedom for Web Pages::
1813 * Manuals on Web Pages::
1814 * CVS Keywords in Web Pages::
1818 @node Hosting for Web Pages
1819 @section Hosting for Web Pages
1821 The best way to maintain the web pages for your project is to register
1822 the project on @code{savannah.gnu.org}. Then you can edit the pages
1823 using CVS, using the separate ``web repository'' available on
1824 Savannah, which corresponds to
1825 @indicateurl{http://www.gnu.org/software/@var{package}/}. You can
1826 keep your source files there too (using any of a variety of version
1827 control systems), but you can use @code{savannah.gnu.org} only for
1828 your gnu.org web pages if you wish; simply register a ``web-only''
1831 If you don't want to use that method, please talk with
1832 @email{webmasters@@gnu.org} about other possible methods. For
1833 instance, you can mail them pages to install, if necessary. But that
1834 is more work for them, so please use Savannah if you can.
1836 If you use Savannah, you can use a special file named @file{.symlinks}
1837 in order to create symbolic links, which are not supported in CVS.
1839 @url{http://www.gnu.org/server/standards/README.webmastering.html#symlinks}.
1842 @node Freedom for Web Pages
1843 @section Freedom for Web Pages
1845 If you use a site other than @code{www.gnu.org}, please make sure that
1846 the site runs on free software alone. (It is ok if the site uses
1847 unreleased custom software, since that is free in a trivial sense:
1848 there's only one user and it has the four freedoms.) If the web site
1849 for a GNU package runs on non-free software, the public will see this,
1850 and it will have the effect of granting legitimacy to the non-free
1853 If you use multiple sites, they should all follow that criterion.
1854 Please don't link to a site that is about your package, which the
1855 public might perceive as connected with it and reflecting the position
1856 of its developers, unless it follows that criterion.
1858 Historically, web pages for GNU packages did not include GIF images,
1859 because of patent problems (@pxref{Ethical and Philosophical
1860 Consideration}). Although the GIF patents expired in 2006, using GIF
1861 images is still not recommended, as the PNG and JPEG formats are
1862 generally superior. See @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/gif.html}.
1865 @node Manuals on Web Pages
1866 @section Manuals on Web Pages
1868 The web pages for the package should include its manuals, in HTML,
1869 DVI, Info, PostScript, PDF, plain ASCII, and Texinfo format (source).
1870 All of these can be generated automatically from the Texinfo source
1871 using Makeinfo and other programs.
1873 When there is only one manual, put it in a subdirectory called
1874 @file{manual}; the file @file{manual/index.html} should have a link to
1875 the manual in each of its forms.
1877 If the package has more than one manual, put each one in a
1878 subdirectory of @file{manual}, set up @file{index.html} in each
1879 subdirectory to link to that manual in all its forms, and make
1880 @file{manual/index.html} link to each manual through its subdirectory.
1882 See the section below for details on a script to make the job of
1883 creating all these different formats and index pages easier.
1885 We would like to list all GNU manuals on the page
1886 @url{http://www.gnu.org/manual}, so if yours isn't there, please send
1887 mail to @code{webmasters@@gnu.org}, asking them to add yours, and they
1888 will do so based on the contents of your @file{manual} directory.
1891 * Invoking gendocs.sh::
1895 @node Invoking gendocs.sh
1896 @subsection Invoking @command{gendocs.sh}
1898 @cindex generating documentation output
1900 The script @command{gendocs.sh} eases the task of generating the
1901 Texinfo documentation output for your web pages
1902 section above. It has a companion template file, used as the basis
1903 for the HTML index pages. Both are available from the Texinfo CVS
1907 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/texinfo/texinfo/util/gendocs.sh}
1908 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/texinfo/texinfo/util/gendocs_template}
1911 There is also a minimalistic template, available from:
1914 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/texinfo/texinfo/util/gendocs_template_min}
1917 Invoke the script like this, in the directory containing the Texinfo
1921 gendocs.sh --email @var{yourbuglist} @var{yourmanual} "GNU @var{yourmanual} manual"
1924 @noindent where @var{yourmanual} is the short name for your package
1925 and @var{yourbuglist} is the email address for bug reports (which
1926 should be @code{bug-@var{package}@@gnu.org}). The script processes
1927 the file @file{@var{yourmanual}.texinfo} (or @file{.texi} or
1928 @file{.txi}). For example:
1932 # download gendocs.sh and gendocs_template
1933 gendocs.sh --email bug-texinfo@@gnu.org texinfo "GNU Texinfo manual"
1936 @command{gendocs.sh} creates a subdirectory @file{manual/} containing
1937 the manual generated in all the standard output formats: Info, HTML,
1938 DVI, and so on, as well as the Texinfo source. You then need to move
1939 all those files, retaining the subdirectories, into the web pages for
1942 You can specify the option @option{-o @var{outdir}} to override the
1943 name @file{manual}. Any previous contents of @var{outdir} will be deleted.
1945 The second argument, with the description, is included as part of the
1946 HTML @code{<title>} of the overall @file{manual/index.html} file. It
1947 should include the name of the package being documented, as shown.
1948 @file{manual/index.html} is created by substitution from the file
1949 @file{gendocs_template}. (Feel free to modify the generic template
1950 for your own purposes.)
1952 If you have several manuals, you'll need to run this script several
1953 times with different arguments, specifying a different output
1954 directory with @option{-o} each time, and moving all the output to
1955 your web page. Then write (by hand) an overall index.html with links
1956 to them all. For example:
1960 gendocs.sh --email bug-texinfo@@gnu.org -o texinfo texinfo "GNU Texinfo manual"
1961 gendocs.sh --email bug-texinfo@@gnu.org -o info info "GNU Info manual"
1962 gendocs.sh --email bug-texinfo@@gnu.org -o info-stnd info-stnd "GNU info-stnd manual"
1965 By default, the script uses @command{makeinfo} for generating
1966 @acronym{HTML} output. If you prefer to use @command{texi2html}, use
1967 the @option{--texi2html} command line option, e.g.:
1970 gendocs --texi2html -o texinfo texinfo "GNU Texinfo manual"
1973 The template files will automatically produce entries for additional
1974 HTML output generated by @command{texi2html} (i.e., split by sections
1977 You can set the environment variables @env{MAKEINFO}, @env{TEXI2DVI},
1978 @env{TEXI2HTML} and @env{DVIPS} to control the programs that get
1979 executed, and @env{GENDOCS_TEMPLATE_DIR} to control where the
1980 @file{gendocs_template} file is found.
1982 As usual, run @samp{gendocs.sh --help} for a description of all the
1983 options, environment variables, and more information.
1985 Please email bug reports, enhancement requests, or other
1986 correspondence to @email{bug-texinfo@@gnu.org}.
1989 @node CVS Keywords in Web Pages
1990 @section CVS Keywords in Web Pages
1991 @cindex CVS keywords in web pages
1992 @cindex RCS keywords in web pages
1993 @cindex $ keywords in web pages
1994 @cindex web pages, and CVS keywords
1996 Since @code{www.gnu.org} works through CVS, CVS keywords in your
1997 manual, such as @code{@w{$}Log$}, need special treatment (even if you
1998 don't happen to maintain your manual in CVS).
2000 If these keywords end up in the generated output as literal strings,
2001 they will be expanded. The most robust way to handle this is to turn
2002 off keyword expansion for such generated files. For existing files,
2006 cvs admin -ko @var{file1} @var{file2} ...
2013 cvs add -ko @var{file1} @var{file2} ...
2016 @c The CVS manual is now built with numeric references and no nonsplit
2017 @c form, so it's not worth trying to give a direct link.
2018 See the ``Keyword Substitution'' section in the CVS manual, available
2019 at @url{http://ximbiot.com/cvs/manual}.
2021 In Texinfo source, the recommended way to literally specify a
2022 ``dollar'' keyword is:
2028 The @code{@@w} prevents keyword expansion in the Texinfo source
2029 itself. Also, @code{makeinfo} notices the @code{@@w} and generates
2030 output avoiding the literal keyword string.
2033 @node Ethical and Philosophical Consideration
2034 @chapter Ethical and Philosophical Consideration
2038 The GNU project takes a strong stand for software freedom. Many
2039 times, this means you'll need to avoid certain technologies when their
2040 use would conflict with our long-term goals.
2042 Software patents threaten the advancement of free software and freedom
2043 to program. There are so many software patents in the US that any
2044 large program probably implements hundreds of patented techniques,
2045 unknown to the program's developers. It would be futile and
2046 self-defeating to try to find and avoid all these patents. But there
2047 are some patents which we know are likely to be used to threaten free
2048 software, so we make an effort to avoid the patented techniques. If
2049 you are concerned about the danger of a patent and would like advice,
2050 write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}, and we will try to help you get
2051 advice from a lawyer.
2053 Sometimes the GNU project takes a strong stand against a particular
2054 patented technology in order to encourage society to reject it.
2056 For example, the MP3 audio format is covered by a software patent in
2057 the USA and some other countries. A patent holder has threatened
2058 lawsuits against the developers of free programs (these are not GNU
2059 programs) to produce and play MP3, and some GNU/Linux distributors are
2060 afraid to include them. Development of the programs continues, but we
2061 campaign for the rejection of MP3 format in favor of Ogg Vorbis format.
2063 A GNU package should not recommend use of any non-free program, nor
2064 should it require a non-free program (such as a non-free compiler or
2065 IDE) to build. Thus, a GNU package cannot be written in a programming
2066 language that does not have a free software implementation. Now that
2067 GNU/Linux systems are widely available, all GNU packages should
2068 provide full functionality on a 100% free GNU/Linux system, and should
2069 not require any non-free software to build or function.
2070 The GNU Coding Standards say a lot more about this issue.
2072 A GNU package should not refer the user to any non-free documentation
2073 for free software. The need for free documentation to come with free
2074 software is now a major focus of the GNU project; to show that we are
2075 serious about the need for free documentation, we must not contradict
2076 our position by recommending use of documentation that isn't free.
2078 Finally, new issues concerning the ethics of software freedom come up
2079 frequently. We ask that GNU maintainers, at least on matters that
2080 pertain specifically to their package, stand with the rest of the GNU
2081 project when such issues come up.
2085 @chapter Terminology Issues
2088 This chapter explains a couple of issues of terminology which are
2089 important for correcting two widespread and important misunderstandings
2093 * Free Software and Open Source::
2097 @node Free Software and Open Source
2098 @section Free Software and Open Source
2099 @cindex free software movement
2101 @cindex movement, free software
2102 @cindex development method, open source
2104 The terms ``free software'' and ``open source'', while describing
2105 almost the same category of software, stand for views based on
2106 fundamentally different values. The free software movement is
2107 idealistic, and raises issues of freedom, ethics, principle and what
2108 makes for a good society. The term open source, initiated in 1998, is
2109 associated with a philosophy which studiously avoids such questions.
2110 For a detailed explanation, see
2111 @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html}.
2113 The GNU Project is aligned with the free software movement. This
2114 doesn't mean that all GNU contributors and maintainers have to agree;
2115 your views on these issues are up to you, and you're entitled to express
2116 them when speaking for yourself.
2118 However, due to the much greater publicity that the term ``open source''
2119 receives, the GNU Project needs to overcome a widespread
2120 mistaken impression that GNU is @emph{and always was} an ``open
2121 source'' activity. For this reason, please use the term ``free
2122 software'', not ``open source'', in GNU software releases, GNU
2123 documentation, and announcements and articles that you publish in your
2124 role as the maintainer of a GNU package. A reference to the URL given
2125 above, to explain the difference, is a useful thing to include as
2130 @section GNU and Linux
2134 The GNU Project was formed to develop a free Unix-like operating system,
2135 GNU. The existence of this system is our major accomplishment.
2136 However, the widely used version of the GNU system, in which Linux is
2137 used as the kernel, is often called simply ``Linux''. As a result, most
2138 users don't know about the GNU Project's major accomplishment---or more
2139 precisely, they know about it, but don't realize it is the GNU Project's
2140 accomplishment and reason for existence. Even people who believe they
2141 know the real history often believe that the goal of GNU was to develop
2142 ``tools'' or ``utilities''.
2144 To correct this confusion, we have made a years-long effort to
2145 distinguish between Linux, the kernel that Linus Torvalds wrote, and
2146 GNU/Linux, the operating system that is the combination of GNU and
2147 Linux. The resulting increased awareness of what the GNU Project has
2148 already done helps every activity of the GNU Project recruit more
2149 support and contributors.
2151 Please make this distinction consistently in GNU software releases, GNU
2152 documentation, and announcements and articles that you publish in your
2153 role as the maintainer of a GNU package. If you want to explain the
2154 terminology and its reasons, you can refer to the URL
2155 @url{http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html}.
2157 To make it clear that Linux is a kernel, not an operating system,
2158 please take care to avoid using the term ``Linux system'' in those
2159 materials. If you want to have occasion to make a statement about
2160 systems in which the kernel is Linux, write ``systems in which the
2161 kernel is Linux'' or ``systems with Linux as the kernel.'' That
2162 explicitly contrasts the system and the kernel, and will help readers
2163 understand the difference between the two. Please avoid simplified
2164 forms such as ``Linux-based systems'' because those fail to highlight
2165 the difference between the kernel and the system, and could encourage
2166 readers to overlook the distinction.
2168 To contrast the GNU system properly with respect to GNU/Linux, you can
2169 call it ``GNU/Hurd'' or ``the GNU/Hurd system''. However, when that
2170 contrast is not specifically the focus, please call it just ``GNU'' or
2173 When referring to the collection of servers that is the higher level
2174 of the GNU kernel, please call it ``the Hurd'' or ``the GNU Hurd''.
2175 Note that this uses a space, not a slash.
2180 @cindex CVS repository
2182 @cindex source repository
2183 @cindex version control system
2185 @cindex release site
2188 We recommend using @code{savannah.gnu.org} for the source code
2189 repository for your package, but that's not required. @xref{Old
2190 Versions}, for more information about Savannah.
2192 We strongly urge you to use @code{ftp.gnu.org} as the standard
2193 distribution site for releases. Doing so makes it easier for
2194 developers and users to find the latest GNU releases. However, it is
2195 ok to use another server if you wish, provided it allows access from
2196 the general public without limitation (for instance, without excluding
2199 If you use a company's machine to hold the repository for your
2200 program, or as its release distribution site, please put this
2201 statement in a prominent place on the site, so as to prevent people
2202 from getting the wrong idea about the relationship between the package
2206 The programs <list of them> hosted here are free software packages
2207 of the GNU Project, not products of <company name>. We call them
2208 "free software" because you are free to copy and redistribute them,
2209 following the rules stated in the license of each package. For more
2210 information, see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.
2212 If you are looking for service or support for GNU software, see
2213 http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/ for suggestions of where to ask.
2215 If you would like to contribute to the development of one of these
2216 packages, contact the package maintainer or the bug-reporting address
2217 of the package (which should be listed in the package itself), or look
2218 on www.gnu.org for more information on how to contribute.
2224 @cindex Donations, for packages
2225 @cindex Money, donated to packages
2227 As a maintainer, you might want to accept donations for your work,
2228 especially if you pay for any of your own hosting/development
2229 infrastructure. Following is some text you can adapt to your own
2230 situation, and use on your package's web site, @file{README}, or
2231 in wherever way you find it useful:
2234 We appreciate contributions of any size -- donations enable us to spend
2235 more time working on the project, and help cover our infrastructure
2238 If you'd like to make a small donation, please visit @var{url1} and do
2239 it through @var{payment-service}. Since our project isn't a
2240 tax-exempt organization, we can't offer you a tax deduction, but for
2241 all donations over @var{amount1}, we'd be happy to recognize your
2242 contribution on @var{url2}.
2244 We are also happy to consider making particular improvements or
2245 changes, or giving specific technical assistance, in return for a
2246 substantial donation over @var{amount2}. If you would like to discuss
2247 this possibility, write to us at @var{address}.
2249 Another possibility is to pay a software maintenance fee. Again,
2250 write to us about this at @var{address} to discuss how much you want
2251 to pay and how much maintenance we can offer in return. If you pay
2252 more than @var{amount1}, we can give you a document for your records.
2254 Thanks for your support!
2257 We don't recommend any specific payment service. However, GNU
2258 developers should not use a service that requires them to sign a
2259 proprietary software license, such as Google's payment service.
2261 Of course, it is also good to encourage people to join or contribute
2262 to the FSF (@url{http://www.fsf.org}), either instead of or as well as
2263 package-specific donations.
2266 @node Free Software Directory
2267 @chapter Free Software Directory
2268 @cindex Free Software Directory
2269 @cindex Directory, Free Software
2271 The Free Software Directory aims to be a complete list of free
2272 software packages, within certain criteria. Every GNU package should
2273 be listed there, so please see
2274 @url{http://www.gnu.org/help/directory.html#adding-entries} for
2275 information on how to write an entry for your package. Contact
2276 @email{bug-directory@@gnu.org} with any questions or suggestions for
2277 the Free Software Directory.
2280 @node Using the Proofreaders List
2281 @chapter Using the Proofreaders List
2282 @cindex proofreading
2284 If you want help finding errors in documentation,
2285 or help improving the quality of writing,
2286 or if you are not a native speaker of English
2287 and want help producing good English documentation,
2288 you can use the GNU proofreaders mailing list:
2289 @email{proofreaders@@gnu.org}.
2291 But be careful when you use the list,
2292 because there are over 200 people on it.
2293 If you simply ask everyone on the list to read your work,
2294 there will probably be tremendous duplication of effort
2295 by the proofreaders,
2296 and you will probably get the same errors reported 100 times.
2297 This must be avoided.
2299 Also, the people on the list do not want to get
2300 a large amount of mail from it.
2301 So do not ever ask people on the list to send mail to the list!
2303 Here are a few methods that seem reasonable to use:
2307 For something small, mail it to the list,
2308 and ask people to pick a random number from 1 to 20,
2309 and read it if the number comes out as 10.
2310 This way, assuming 50% response, some 5 people will read the piece.
2313 For a larger work, divide your work into around 20 equal-sized parts,
2314 tell people where to get it,
2315 and ask each person to pick randomly which part to read.
2317 Be sure to specify the random choice procedure;
2318 otherwise people will probably use a mental procedure
2319 that is not really random,
2320 such as ``pick a part near the middle'',
2321 and you will not get even coverage.
2323 You can either divide up the work physically, into 20 separate files,
2324 or describe a virtual division, such as by sections
2325 (if your work has approximately 20 sections).
2326 If you do the latter, be sure to be precise about it---for example,
2327 do you want the material before the first section heading
2328 to count as a section, or not?
2331 For a job needing special skills, send an explanation of it,
2332 and ask people to send you mail if they volunteer for the job.
2333 When you get enough volunteers, send another message to the list saying
2334 ``I have enough volunteers, no more please.''
2338 @node GNU Free Documentation License
2339 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
2341 @cindex FDL, GNU Free Documentation License
2352 eval: (add-hook 'write-file-hooks 'time-stamp)
2353 time-stamp-start: "@set lastupdate "
2354 time-stamp-start: "@set lastupdate "
2356 time-stamp-format: "%:b %:d, %:y"
2357 compile-command: "make -C work.m"