Why do we have both ghostscript-gpl and ghostscript-gnu?

[Eivind Eklund]

On Thu, Dec 30, 2004 at 01:18:59PM +0100, Jose M Rodriguez wrote:
> Eivind Eklund wrote:
> >On Thu, Dec 30, 2004 at 11:57:12AM +0100, Jose M Rodriguez wrote:
> >>Eivind Eklund wrote:
> >>>On Thu, Dec 30, 2004 at 09:20:41AM +0100, Jose M Rodriguez wrote:
> >>>>David O'Brien wrote:
> >>>>>What's the difference between ghostscript-gpl and ghostscript-gnu?  A
> >>>>>diff of their Makefile's doesn't make it any clearer.
> >>>>Versions.
> >>>>It was after a change in licence from the originator.
> <snip/>
> 
> >The web page (which is the same) indicate that both are under the
> >GPL, and that the -gpl (8.0) version if based on AFPL ghostscript
> >(which is under a different license).  This is the way the AFPL work
> >has traditionally been done; make AFPL ghostscript available under
> >the AFPL license, and then a year or so later make the same sources
> >available under the GPL.
> Get the traballs and read the associated licenses
> 
> 7.x uses a GNU License
> 8.x uses a GPL License

Version 7.07 (which is in our tree as -gnu) uses the GNU GPL version 2.

Version 8.14 (which is in our tree as -gpl) uses the GNU GPL version 2,
  and includes some extra, non-essential files under an
  all-verbatim-copying-is-OK license (aggregation, as explictly
  permitted under the GPL v2).

There is no license change; there is only the addition of extra material under
a free redistribution license.

> Also, the tarball contents are very different, apart that gpl-ghostcript 
> doesn't have some devices present on the gnu port version.

Hmm, that might be relevant to document.

> My plans, right now, are:
> - test and solve the remains problems with gpl- (mostly, cups)
> - change from -gnu to -gpl
> - go for the devel -afpl version (not in the tree).
> - deprecate -gnu version when time goes.

Sounds good; I'd deprecate (as in indicating that we are in the process of
migration to -gpl) the -gnu version *now*, though.  Indicating as early as
possible gives users more time to migrate.

Eivind.