Re: OK to distribute autoconf.texi under the GPL too?

[Paul Eggert]

Bob Friesenhahn <address@hidden> writes:

> Autoconf.texi is not part of a program.  The texinfo.tex file could be
> (weakly) construed to be part of a program since it defines
> macros.

But autoconf.texi also defines and uses macros.  And even if it
didn't, one can think of the non-macro part of autoconf.texi as being
a collection of print statements.  So I still don't understand why the
GPL doesn't apply to autoconf.texi.

> GPL does not compel distribution of original files except for those
> which are actual source to the program or part of the license.  It
> seems that the FSF wants to compel the distribution of modified
> documentation so they created GFDL.

As I understand it, that's not the motivation for the GFDL.  Its
preamble says that the secondary motivation for the GFDL (i.e., the
motivation that makes it incompatible with the GPL) is to preserve
"for the author and publisher a way to get credit for their work,
while not being considered responsible for modifications made by
others".