Re: [Groff] [groff] 01/02: All Makefile* files: add Emacs setting and GPL2 license (only if lacking)

[Ingo Schwarze]

Hi Bernd,

Bernd Warken wrote on Tue, Sep 02, 2014 at 09:10:32PM +0000:

> commit 70f06155a3017b7302124af1949ef078e4035e53
> Author: Bernd Warken <address@hidden>
> Date:   Tue Sep 2 23:03:14 2014 +0200

I guess there isn't much wrong with adding editor-specific annotations
to Makefiles if that editor is what the package maintainers use.

It also makes sense to add copyright notices to files containing
copyrightable amounts of text if you can show that is what the
original authors intended, merely forgetting or neglecting to add
the notice.

However, changes in the following style look rather silly:

> diff --git a/font/devX100-12/Makefile.sub b/font/devX100-12/Makefile.sub
> index d074757..afc4107 100644
> --- a/font/devX100-12/Makefile.sub
> +++ b/font/devX100-12/Makefile.sub
> @@ -1,2 +1,37 @@
> +# Makefile.sub for `font devX100-12'
> +#
> +# File position: <groff-source>/font/devX100-12/Makefile.sub
> +#
> +# Copyright (C) 2014
> +#   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> +#
> +# Last update: 2 Sep 2014
> +#
> +# This file is part of `font utf8' which is part of `groff'.
> +#
> +# `groff' is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
> +# under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
> +# the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
> +# (at your option) any later version.
> +#
> +# `groff' is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
> +# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
> +# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
> +# General Public License for more details.
> +#
> +# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
> +# along with this program. If not, see
> +# <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html>.
> +#
> +########################################################################
> +
>  DEV=X100-12
>  DEVFILES=DESC TR TI TB TBI CR CI CB CBI HR HI HB HBI NR NI NB NBI S
> +
> +########################################################################
> +# Emacs settings
> +########################################################################
> +#
> +# Local Variables:
> +# mode: makefile
> +# End:

Quite clearly, there is no copyrightable text in this file.
It is merely a directory listing, barely two lines of text.
Obviously, no originality and no sweat of brow is involved here.

In case of doubt, it is usually prudent to add a copyright notice
and a license to a file.  But when there can be no reasonable doubt
that something is *not* copyrightable adding a notice and a license
is really pointless.  In the unlucky case, it might lead to confusion.

Besides, the year "2014" you added here is a misrepresentation of fact.
If this were copyrightable, the year would have to be 1993.  The dates
matter because in some legislations, most notably the U.S.A., they
govern expiration of copyright.

Yours,
  Ingo


P.S.
The following seems unintentional:


> diff --git a/src/devices/grops/#Makefile.sub# 
> b/src/devices/grops/#Makefile.sub#
> new file mode 100644
> index 0000000..7af31a4
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/src/devices/grops/#Makefile.sub#
> @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
> +# Makefile.sub for `grops'
> +#
> +# File position: <groff-source>/src/devices/grops/Makefile.sub
> +#
> +# Copyright (C) 2014
> +#   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> +#
> +# Last update: 2 Sep 2014
> +#
> +# This file is part of `font utf8' which is part of `groff'.
> +#
> +# `groff' is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
> +# under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
> +# the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
> +# (at your option) any later version.
> +#
> +# `groff' is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
> +# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
> +# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
> +# General Public License for more details.
> +#
> +# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
> +# along with this program. If not, see
> +# <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html>.
> +#
> +########################################################################
> +
> +PROG=grops$(EXEEXT)
> +MAN1=grops.n
> +XLIBS=$(LIBDRIVER) $(LIBGROFF) $(LIBGNU)
> +MLIB=$(LIBM)
> +OBJS=\
> +  ps.$(OBJEXT) \
> +  psrm.$(OBJEXT)
> +CCSRCS=\
> +  $(srcdir)/ps.cpp \
> +  $(srcdir)/psrm.cpp
> +HDRS=\
> +  $(srcdir)/ps.h
> +
> +########################################################################
> +# Emacs settings
> +########################################################################
> +#
> +# Local Variables:
> +# mode: makefile
> +# End: