Re: --version output and license specifications

[Karl Berry]

    1. there were a standardized, FSF/GNU supported "emit_version" procedure

There's a function in gnulib, although I don't think it's a problem for
programs to write their own.

    2. --version were to take an optional argument that would tell that function

It's only a few lines of text.  I confess I don't see a need to make
more infrastructure around it.

Anyway, the implementation of writing the --version output is a separate
question from what the output is specified to me.  As far as the
standards go, we just want to say what it should be, not how it is written.

Thanks,
Karl