Re: [syl20bnr/spacemacs] Proposal to improve GPL compliance (#14444)

[github . com]

* Lucius Hu <notifications@github.com> [2021-03-02 18:10]:
> Why would the user don't know?
> Or is there any description of Spacemacs says it's not a configuration but a 
> modified version of Emacs?

Descriptions are in terms of copyright not really relevant.

Classification like naming such as "configuration" is also not
relevant.

Question is if it represents combined work and thus modified version
of Emacs as visually and practically it represents modified version of
Emacs. It is not relevant that code was added to it, and that some
sources were not "changed" directly. The modification of software is
taking place in adding that new code. 

IMHO it represents combined work, new modified work thus the section
"5. Conveying Modified Source Versions." applies:

1. TODO Full license text file is missing in the distribution.

2. TODO Source files do not have proper license notices. "GPLv3" is
   not enough. This is not even related to the section 5 but to
   general application of GNU GPLv3 license, and Spacemacs authors
   with to license it as GPLv3 but just need to place proper notices
   in each source files.

3. TODO Somewhere in the interactive interface you could add short
   copyright notice, something like "Copying Conditions" in accordance
   with the section 5.