Re: Difficulty following the AGPL for example systemd units

[Jason Yundt <jason@jasonyundt.email>]

On Tuesday, April 26, 2022 6:27:05 PM EDT Eric Wong wrote:
> (resending because the entire /64 my IPv6 address belongs to was
>  blacklisted, I guess my SMTP server will remain IPv4-only)

I actually picked up the original from <https://public-inbox.org/meta/> and 
imported it into my mail client. The ability to do that is something that I 
really like about public-inbox.

> Eric Wong <e@80x24.org> wrote:
> > Jason Yundt <jason@jasonyundt.email> wrote:
> > > Hello¸
> > > 
> > > I’m trying to set up public-inbox-httpd on my Web site [1], and I would
> > > like to use the public-inbox-httpd systemd units from the examples
> > > folder [2] [3]. They don’t exactly fit my needs, so I would like to
> > > modify them before deploying them. Here’s where I run into a problem:
> > > 
> > > Section 0 of the GNU AGPL says “"The Program" refers to any
> > > copyrightable work licensed under this License.” [4] For public-inbox,
> > > I think that the Program is the entire public-inbox source tree [5]. In
> > > other words, I think that those two systemd units [2] [3] are part of
> > > the Program.
> > > 
> > > Section 1 says “The Corresponding Source for a work in source code form
> > > is
> > > that same work.” [6] I think that the work in this case is the entire
> > > public- inbox source tree. This means that the Corresponding Source is
> > > the entire public-inbox source tree which in turn means that those two
> > > systemd units are part of the Corresponding Source.
> > 
> > Paragraph 4 of section 1 states:
> > 	The "Corresponding Source" for a work in object code form means
> > 	all the source code needed to generate, install, and (for an
> > 	executable work) run the object code and to modify the work,
> > 	including scripts to control those activities.  However, it does
> > 	not include the work's System Libraries, or general-purpose
> > 	tools or generally available free programs which are used
> > 	unmodified in performing those activities but which are not part
> > 	of the work.  For example, Corresponding Source includes
> > 	interface definition files associated with source files for the
> > 	work, and the source code for shared libraries and dynamically
> > 	linked subprograms that the work is specifically designed to
> > 	require, such as by intimate data communication or control flow
> > 	between those subprograms and other parts of the work.
> > 
> > I consider systemd, cron, logrotate, etc. to be "general-purpose tools"
> > and there's no "intimate data communication or control flow"
> > between them and public-inbox.
> > 
> > > Section 13 says “[…]if you modify the Program, your modified version
> > > must
> > > prominently offer all users interacting with it remotely through a
> > > computer
> > > network (if your version supports such interaction) an opportunity to
> > > receive the Corresponding Source of your version by providing access to
> > > the Corresponding Source from a network server at no charge, through
> > > some standard or customary means of facilitating copying of software.”
> > > [7]
> > > 
> > > Since those two systemd units are part of the Program, when I modify
> > > them I’m modifying the Program. In other words, when I modify those two
> > > systemd units, I’ll have to follow that section 13 requirement. In
> > > other words, “[my] modified version must prominently offer all users
> > > interacting with it remotely through a computer network […] an
> > > opportunity to receive the Corresponding Source of [my] version”.
> > 
> > I don't consider systemd units or config files part of the
> > program; especially since they're loaded by systemd without
> > "intimate data communication or control flow between those
> > subprograms and other parts of the work".

Now that I look at it, the top-level README only says that the program is 
under the GNU AGPL. Does that mean that those units don’t have a license?

> > > The right way to do this would be to create a Git repo for my soft fork
> > > of
> > > public-inbox and change the mirror page [8]. The mirror page says
> > > 
> > > “AGPL code for this site:
> > >   git clone https://public-inbox.org/public-inbox.git”
> > > 
> > > As far as I can tell, the only way for me to change that URL is to edit
> > > lib/ PublicInbox/WwwStream.pm. If I did that, then I would no longer be
> > > able to rely on my distro’s public-inbox packages. I would have to
> > > create my own system for updating public-inbox.
> > 
> > I think having a globally-writable "our" variable is sufficient
> > for $CODE_URL.  The .psgi file is Perl, and setting a few
> > variables/pathnames/URLs doesn't meet the barrier for "intimate
> > data communication or control flow" to me.
Wait, so could I change that variable without modifying lib/ PublicInbox/
WwwStream.pm? For context: I know very little about Perl and basically nothing 
about PSGI.

> > > This makes using those example units annoyingly complicated. Here’s some
> > > ideas that I have for improving this situation:
> > > 
> > > 1. Release those systemd units under something other than the GNU AGPL.
> > 
> > Maybe this one for examples/ and contrib/.  I definitely don't
> > want to clutter individual example files with copyright lines,
> > though...

May be you could add a copyright section to examples/README (similar to how 
you have one for the top-level README).

> > > 2. Add a public-inbox source tree option to config files. This option
> > > would
> > > allow you to override the “AGPL code for this site” URL.
> > > 
> > > Either option would work and both are definitely not necessary.
> > 
> > Fwiw, I personally have zero interest nor ability to do (A)GPL
> > enforcement.  I still prefer (A)GPL since it lets me use (steal
> > 
> > :P) code from other copyleft projects; and developers of those
> > 
> > projects can still maintain and enforce their copyrights.
> > 
> > Thanks.
> > 
> > > From,
> > > Jason Yundt
> > > 
> > > [1]: <https://jasonyundt.website/>
> > > [2]:
> > > <https://public-inbox.org/public-inbox.git/tree/examples/public-inbox-h
> > > ttpd@.service> [3]:
> > > <https://public-inbox.org/public-inbox.git/tree/examples/public-inbox-h
> > > ttpd.socket> [4]: <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html#section0>
> > > [5]: <https://public-inbox.org/public-inbox.git/tree/>
> > > [6]: <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html#section1>
> > > [7]: <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html#section13>
> > > [8]: <https://public-inbox.org/meta/_/text/mirror/>