On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 05:16:50AM -0400, Ray Benjamin
wrote:
>
> Linux was built via Open Source methods, and the LDP
and other efforts
> have tried to use similar, but not identical, methods
to build solid
> documentation. The problem is, that while the GPL
requires companies to
> publish improvements and modifications they make to GPL
source code,
I don't think this is true. If you distribute such
improvements and
modifications, then they must be under the GPL (free)
license. But I
don't see any requirement to publish your improvements and
modifications.
> there is no corresponding requirement for anyone to do
the same with
> regard to documentation. As a result, there are lots of
independent
> efforts to document various flavors of Linux, and not
so much effort to
> assist in documenting Linux as a whole.
But while we duplicated a lot of effort with the many
flavors of
Linux, including the documentating of them, this doesn't
seem to be
due to licensing issues.
>
> Part of the problem with trying to impose such a
requirement, is that
> many companies use documentation and support to
differentiate their
> commercially licensed versions from their GPL licensed
versions. As a
> result, they wouldn't be too happy about being
"forced" to participate
> in the community effort to document Linux.
You mean a requirement to publish any improvements and
modifications??
How could this be enforced? If I do this but don't publish
it, people
will not even know that such improvements and modifications
exist.
> This isn't an easy problem, but I do have one
suggestion, even if I
> don't have the resources to help. I suggest that
someone, hopefully with
> preexisting contacts, talk to various universities that
have technical
> writing programs, and suggest that having students
participate in the
> LDP might be a good way for them to learn about
technical writing. Some
> universities already have engineering students join
open source projects
> as part of their curriculum, so this isn't such a
radical idea.
Good idea (but it's a new topic in your post). I've thought
of this
too. But we need volunteers to do this and also need better
and
simpler procedures.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Ray
David Lawyer
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