Re: NonGNU ELPA (was: Re: Fwd: How do I go about debugging my Elisp code?)

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor <help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org> [2022-01-15 02:32]:
> Tassilo Horn wrote:
> 
> > But it would still be fine for NonGNU ELPA if it had
> > a proper license statement (which is the actual missing
> > part).
> 
> What's this NonGNU ELPA I keep hearing about lately?

Maybe winter sleep took you too long.

NonGNU Emacs Lisp Package Archive is the answer to issues otherwise
not handled on MELPA, for example, this repository will include any
kind of packages but not steer users to vague licensed packages or
proprietary software.

More information: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs/nongnu.git/plain/README.org

* Guidance for accepting packages

** We don't ask for copyright assignments to include packages in NonGNU ELPA.

** The Emacs maintainers will decide what packages to put in NonGNU ELPA.

** If an ELisp package follows the rules below,
  we can add it to NonGNU ELPA if we want to.  If the code doesn't
  follow them, we can change the code to follow them.  We may also
  change the code in NonGNU ELPA for other reasons, technical or not.
  After all, it is free software.

** For practical reasons, we usually refrain from making local changes
  to NonGNU ELPA packages, in order to simplify integration of future
  changes from the upstream version.

** The package's developers don't have an obligation to maintain the
  NonGNU ELPA version, but we would like to invite them to do that, or
  to cooperate and coordinate with us in doing that.  If you are the
  developer of a NonGNU ELPA package, or a package that might be added
  to NonGNU ELPA, and you're interested in maintaining it there, let's
  discuss it.

** Rules for a package to be acceptable in NonGNU ELPA

*** A NonGNU ELPA package must display its copyright notices and license
   notices clearly on each nontrivial file.  The notices do not have to
   follow the FSF conventions about their presentation.

   Software files need to carry a free license that is compatible with the
   GNU GPL version 3-or-later.  Which licenses qualify is stated in
   https://gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html.

   Manuals need to be under a free license that is compatible
   with the GNU FDL version 1.4-or-later.  Which licenses qualify is
   stated in https://gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html.

   All other documentation files, for users (manuals, help files, man
   pages, and so on), and for developers (program logic, change logs,
   and so on), can be under a license acceptable for manuals or a
   license acceptable for software files (see above).  We can agree
   with the package developers to include documentation published under
   other free licenses.

   Trivial files of just a few lines don't need to state a copyright or
   a license.

   Normally we don't include material other than software or
   documentation, but we can agree with the developers to include
   specific material.  If the material in question is an educational
   resource, then it can have a license compatible with GNU FDL version
   1.4 or one of the free Creative Commons licenses (CC-BY-SA, CC-BY or
   CC-0), or another free license at our discretion.  If the material is
   not an educational resource, it can instead be licensed under
   CC-BY-ND.

*** The package need not follow the GNU Coding Standards or the GNU
   Maintainers Guide, except for a few specific points as stated below.

*** The package must follow the rules in
   https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/, node References.  This means it
   may not refer users to any nonfree software or nonfree
   documentation, except as stated there.  Leading users to run a
   program, and suggesting they run it, or depending on it to be
   installed, are forms of referring users to it.

*** Aside from packages obtained from GNU ELPA and NonGNU ELPA,
   a package may not run code that it has fetched over the internet.

   In particular, the package may install other packages in GNU ELPA and
   NonGNU ELPA, but not any other software.

   We will consider exceptions to that rule, but we will need to
   consider them carefully, to make sure that the practices are
   safe for Emacs users, not just in one package but when used in
   many packages.  Each time we approve such an exception, we will
   say so in comments in the package, with an explanation of our reasoning.

*** The package must deliver its full functionality and convenience on a
   completely free platform based on the GNU operating system (in
   practice, GNU/Linux), working exclusively with other free software.
   Otherwise, it would act as an inducement to install nonfree systems
   or other nonfree software, and that would work against our cause.

   However, as an exception it is ok for a package to provide, on some
   non-GNU operating systems, features that the rest of Emacs (plus GNU
   ELPA and NonGNU ELPA) already supports on GNU.

   This is a moral issue.  See https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/,
   node System Portability.  The reason for this rule is that at no
   time, in no way, should a NonGNU ELPA package put users who defend
   their freedom at a disadvantage compared with those who surrender
   their freedom.

*** The package may communicate with a class of remote services, either
   using a standard interface or using an ad-hoc interface for each
   service, or a combination, *provided* that these services' jobs
   consist of either communication or lookup of published data.

   The package may not use remote services to do the user's own
   computational processing.  "Your own computational processing" means
   anything you could _in principle_ do in your own computers by
   installing and running suitable software, without communicating with
   any other computers.

*** A general Savannah rule about advertisements

   In general, you may not advertise anything commercial with material
   in the NonGNU ELPA package or this repository.  However, as
   exceptions, you can point people to commercial support offerings for
   the package, and you can mention fan items that you sell directly to
   the users.



-- 
Jean

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