[nycbug-talk] Addendum, GPLv3 Problem

[Miles Nordin]

>>>>> "ms" == Marc Spitzer <mspitzer at gmail.com> writes:

    ms> Well there is the clause that allows for license upgrade in
    ms> gpl2, you can release under this version or any future
    ms> version, that could turn into a major issue for tracking
    ms> license version.  

I don't see how.  The license version is easy to track by reading the
LICENSE file before you import something, and this file doesn't change
by itself, only changes when you import things from GNU into the tree.
Neither GNU nor anyone else can change their license retroactively.

    ms> Also some one could make a "new" bsd distribution and use the
    ms> new license to infect everything they can

to whatever extent this is possible and whatever actual consequence it
has, deciding to ditch gcc from the tree entirely rather than forking
the existing GPLv2 gcc will make no difference in whether or not
someone is able to make this hypothetical/problematic new BSD
distribution, and no difference in the consequences of their doing so.

so far it all looks like FUD to me.  I'm still trying to understand
the problem and the necessity for reacting somehow.  All I see so far
is: ``don't import any GPLv3 code into CVS until the license is
well-understood.''  Fine.  Obvious.  Easy.  

I don't understand the motivation for this reactionary rush to ditch
things that were fine yesterday---it looks to me like the
not-at-all-new desire to get rid of more GPLv2 stuff is completely
unrelated to the GPLv3, and maybe some GPLv2 detractors are now using
the FUD surrounding GPLv3 to get sysadmins into some kind of ``update
your timezone files'' frenzy so something gets done even if the
reasons for it are muddy.  Maybe it is a good idea to remove some more
GPL stuff, but wanting for a long time to get rid of more GPLv2 stuff
should be discussed separately from this GPLv3 FUD.
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