[Savannah-cvs] [What Does It Mean To Become A GNU Package]

[clarkema]

<p>
Calling a program GNU software means that its developers and the GNU project
agree that "This program is part of the GNU project, released under the aegis
of GNU"--and say so in the program.
</p>

<p>
This means that we normally put the program on ftp.gnu.org (although we could
instead refer to the developer's choice of ftp site) and that we put the
official pages describing the program on the GNU web server. (It is ok to have
more informal pages about secondary issues, such as discussion meant for people
who want to help develop the package, on some other site.)
</p>

<p>
It means that the developers agree to pay some attention to making the program
work well with the rest of the GNU system--and conversely that the GNU project
will encourage other GNU maintainers to pay some attention to making their
programs fit in well with it.
</p>

<p>
Just what it means to make programs work well together is mainly a practical
matter that depends on what the program does. But there are a few general
principles. Certain parts of the GNU coding standards directly affect the
consistency of the whole system. These include the standards for configuring
and building a program, and the standards for command-line options. It is
important to make all GNU programs follow these standards, where they are
applicable.
</p>

<p>
Another important GNU standard is that GNU programs should come with
documentation in Texinfo format. That is the GNU standard documentation format,
and it can be converted automatically into various other formats.
</p>

<p>
If a GNU program wants to be extensible, it should use GUILE
(http://www.gnu.org/software/guile/guile.html) as the programming language for
extensibility--that is the GNU standard extensibility package. If the program
doesn't use GUILE today, at least there should be a firm plan to support it in
the future.
</p>

<p>
A GNU program should use the latest version of a license that the GNU Project
recommends--not just any free software license.
</p>

<p>
A GNU program should not recommend use of any non-free program, and it should
not refer the user to any non-free documentation for free software. The need
for free documentation to go with free software is now a major focus of the GNU
project; to show that we are serious about the need for free documentation,
we must not contradict our position by recommending use of documentation
that isn't free.
</p>

<p>
Occasionally there are issues of terminology which are important for the
success of the GNU project as a whole. So we expect maintainers of GNU programs
to follow them. For example, the documentation files and comments in the
program should speak of Linux-based GNU systems or GNU/Linux systems, rather
than calling the whole system "Linux", and should use the term "free software"
rather than "open source".
</p>

<p>
Deciding that a program is GNU software does not necessarily require
transferring copyright to the FSF; that is a separate question. If you transfer
the copyright to the FSF, the FSF will enforce the GPL for the program if
someone violates it; if you keep the copyright, enforcement will be up to you.
</p>

<p><em>Richard M. Stallman</em></p>

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