[wwwdocs] java/faq.html and "Open Source"

[Gerald Pfeifer]

Referring to "other OpenSource projects" here implies that libgcj/GCC
are Open Source which is not exactly in line with how the FSF likes to
position it, plus not every Open Source license is compatible with
every other.  This is an attempt to address this.

I'm planning to apply this in a day or two unless someone spots a
problem with it.

Gerald

2009-08-13  Gerald Pfeifer  <gerald@...>

        * faq.html: Rework reference to "other OpenSource projects".

Index: java/faq.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/gcc/wwwdocs/htdocs/java/faq.html,v
retrieving revision 1.63
diff -u -3 -p -r1.63 faq.html
--- java/faq.html 15 Nov 2004 21:20:23 -0000 1.63
+++ java/faq.html 15 Sep 2009 09:44:35 -0000
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
             <li><a href="#2_4">What is the state of AWT support?</a></li>
             <li><a href="#2_5">How about support for Swing ?</a></li>
             <li><a href="#2_6">What support is there for RMI ?</a></li>
-            <li><a href="#2_7">Can I use any code from other OpenSource projects
-              to supplement libgcj's current features ?</a></li>
+            <li><a href="#2_7">Can I use any code from other projects
+              to supplement libgcj's current features?</a></li>
             <li><a href="#2_8">What features of the Java language are/arn't supported</a></li>
           </ol>
         </li>
@@ -252,11 +252,12 @@ $ gij HelloWorld
       </dl>
       
       <hr />
-      <h3><a name="2_7">2.7 Can I use any code from other OpenSource
+      <h3><a name="2_7">2.7 Can I use any code from other
         projects to supplement libgcj's current features?</a></h3>
       <dl>
         <dd>
-          <p> Certainly. However, in many cases, if you wanted to contribute the
+          <p>Certainly, provided the licenses are compatible.
+          However, in many cases, if you wanted to contribute the
           code back into the official libgcj distribution, we would require that the
           original author(s) assign copyright to the Free Software Foundation. </p>
           <p> As of March 6, 2000, libgcj has been relicenced, and copyright has

[Andrew Haley]

Gerald Pfeifer wrote:
> Referring to "other OpenSource projects" here implies that libgcj/GCC
> are Open Source which is not exactly in line with how the FSF likes to
> position it, plus not every Open Source license is compatible with
> every other.  This is an attempt to address this.
>
> I'm planning to apply this in a day or two unless someone spots a
> problem with it.

Please have a look at http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/java/1999-q4/msg00257.html
It's clear that the term "OpenSource" was never approved, and the gcj
maintainer asked for the term "Free Software" to be used instead.  I
have no idea why this request wasn't followed.

Andrew.

> Gerald
>
> 2009-08-13  Gerald Pfeifer  <gerald@...>
>
> * faq.html: Rework reference to "other OpenSource projects".
>
> Index: java/faq.html
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /cvs/gcc/wwwdocs/htdocs/java/faq.html,v
> retrieving revision 1.63
> diff -u -3 -p -r1.63 faq.html
> --- java/faq.html 15 Nov 2004 21:20:23 -0000 1.63
> +++ java/faq.html 15 Sep 2009 09:44:35 -0000
> @@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
>              <li><a href="#2_4">What is the state of AWT support?</a></li>
>              <li><a href="#2_5">How about support for Swing ?</a></li>
>              <li><a href="#2_6">What support is there for RMI ?</a></li>
> -            <li><a href="#2_7">Can I use any code from other OpenSource projects
> -              to supplement libgcj's current features ?</a></li>
> +            <li><a href="#2_7">Can I use any code from other projects
> +              to supplement libgcj's current features?</a></li>
>              <li><a href="#2_8">What features of the Java language are/arn't supported</a></li>
>            </ol>
>          </li>
> @@ -252,11 +252,12 @@ $ gij HelloWorld
>        </dl>
>        
>        <hr />
> -      <h3><a name="2_7">2.7 Can I use any code from other OpenSource
> +      <h3><a name="2_7">2.7 Can I use any code from other
>          projects to supplement libgcj's current features?</a></h3>
>        <dl>
>          <dd>
> -          <p> Certainly. However, in many cases, if you wanted to contribute the
> +          <p>Certainly, provided the licenses are compatible.
> +          However, in many cases, if you wanted to contribute the
>            code back into the official libgcj distribution, we would require that the
>            original author(s) assign copyright to the Free Software Foundation. </p>
>            <p> As of March 6, 2000, libgcj has been relicenced, and copyright has

[Gerald Pfeifer]

On Tue, 15 Sep 2009, Andrew Haley wrote:
> Please have a look at http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/java/1999-q4/msg00257.html
> It's clear that the term "OpenSource" was never approved, and the gcj
> maintainer asked for the term "Free Software" to be used instead.  I
> have no idea why this request wasn't followed.

Good point.  I believe my patch addresses all the issue raised back
then, ten years ago, in the context of the current contents, and now
applied it.  Thanks for the pointer!  (If there are further changes
you'd like to see, let me know, and I'll give it a try.)

Gerald