en/glep/glep-0023.txt

GLEP: 23
Title: Portage handling of ACCEPT_LICENSE
Version: $Revision: 1.4 $
Last-Modified: $Date: 2003/07/19 12:09:20 $
Author: Jason Stubbs <jstubbs@gentoo.org>,
Status: Draft
Type: Standards Track
Content-Type: text/x-rst
Created: 9-Mar-2004
Post-History: 8-Mar-2004


Abstract
========

Currently, every ebuild in the portage tree is required to have a valid 
LICENSE entry.  However, the syntax of this entry is not officially 
defined and the entry itself is only used when outputting package 
details.
 

Motivation
==========

Many users wish to regulate the software they install with regards to 
licenses for various reasons [1]_.  Some want a system free of any 
software that is not OSI-approved; others are simply curious as to what 
licenses they are implicitly accepting.

Furthermore, some software requires that a user interactively accept its 
license for its author's to consider it legally binding.  This is 
currently implemented using ``eutils.eclass``.


Specification
=============

Ebuild LICENSE Variable
-----------------------

Most ebuilds are for software which is released under a single license.  
In these cases, the current LICENSE variable can remain as is.  For 
example:

::

        LICENSE="single-license"

However, there are several ebuilds for software which is released under 
several licenses, of which the user must accept one, some or all [2]_.  
To complicate this, some ebuilds include optional components which fall 
under a different license.

To accomodate these cases, LICENSE syntax should accomodate all 
functionality offered by a DEPEND string.  To keep things simple, this 
GLEP proposes that the syntax be identical.  For example:

::

        LICENSE="mandatory-license \
            ( || choosable-licence1 chooseable-license-2 ) \
            useflag? ( optional-component-license )"


License Groups
--------------

Almost all users are willing to install any software that is 
OSI-approved.  Other users are willing to install any software and 
implicitly accept its license.  To this end, portage will also need to 
handle grouping of licenses.

At a minimum, there needs to be the groups ``OSI-APPROVED`` and 
``NON-INTERACTIVE``.  ``NON-INTERACTIVE`` licenses are those that don't 
require interactive acceptance for it to be considered legally binding.  
This is the current behaviour of portage.


ACCEPT_LICENSE
--------------

This GLEP proposes that a user be able to explicitly accept or decline 
licenses by editing a new variable ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` in 
``/etc/make.conf``.  Again, to keep things simple, the syntax should be 
similar to that of other incrementals.  For example:

::

        ACCEPT_LICENSE="-* accepted-license -declined-license"

As an extension, ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` must also support `license groups`_.  
This GLEP proposes that the license group be prepended by the special 
character "``@``".  For example:

::

        ACCEPT_LICENSE="-* @OSI-APPROVED"


Emerge Behaviour
----------------

At a minimum, emerge must handle unaccepted licenses the same way that 
it handles blockers.  That is, with the --pretend flag the 
not-yet-accepted license should be listed in the output.  Without the 
--pretend flag, emerge should stop before any software is installed.

This GLEP proposes that, unlike blockers, dependencies for software 
should be checked regardless of license acceptance.  Doing so will allow 
the user to review all necessary licenses before initiating an actual 
emerge.

It is also proposed that the --ask option will display an unaccepted 
license and ask for acceptance, but not update any configuration files 
at this stage.  Finally, the --verbose option should also list the 
licenses accepted for each package.


Rationale
=========

An implementation of this proposal should make it easy for users wishing 
to regulate their software without affecting those that don't.


Reference Implementation
========================

TODO


Backwards Compatibility
=======================

There should be no change to the user experience without the user 
explicitly choosing to do so.  This mandates that the 
configuration variable be named ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` as some users may 
already have it set due to ebuilds using ``eutil.eclass``'s 
implementation.  It also mandates that the default ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` be 
set to ``@NON-INTERACTIVE``.


References
==========

.. [1] Gentoo Linux Bug 17367
       (http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=17367)
.. [2] Gentoo Linux Bug 34146 
       (http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=34146)


Copyright
=========

This document has been placed in the public domain.

1	GLEP: 23
2	Title: Portage handling of ACCEPT_LICENSE
3	Version: $Revision: 1.4 $
4	Last-Modified: $Date: 2003/07/19 12:09:20 $
5	Author: Jason Stubbs <jstubbs@gentoo.org>,
6	Status: Draft
7	Type: Standards Track
8	Content-Type: text/x-rst
9	Created: 9-Mar-2004
10	Post-History: 8-Mar-2004
11
12
13	Abstract
14	========
15
16	Currently, every ebuild in the portage tree is required to have a valid
17	LICENSE entry. However, the syntax of this entry is not officially
18	defined and the entry itself is only used when outputting package
19	details.
20
21
22	Motivation
23	==========
24
25	Many users wish to regulate the software they install with regards to
26	licenses for various reasons [1]_. Some want a system free of any
27	software that is not OSI-approved; others are simply curious as to what
28	licenses they are implicitly accepting.
29
30	Furthermore, some software requires that a user interactively accept its
31	license for its author's to consider it legally binding. This is
32	currently implemented using ``eutils.eclass``.
33
34
35	Specification
36	=============
37
38	Ebuild LICENSE Variable
39	-----------------------
40
41	Most ebuilds are for software which is released under a single license.
42	In these cases, the current LICENSE variable can remain as is. For
43	example:
44
45	::
46
47	LICENSE="single-license"
48
49	However, there are several ebuilds for software which is released under
50	several licenses, of which the user must accept one, some or all [2]_.
51	To complicate this, some ebuilds include optional components which fall
52	under a different license.
53
54	To accomodate these cases, LICENSE syntax should accomodate all
55	functionality offered by a DEPEND string. To keep things simple, this
56	GLEP proposes that the syntax be identical. For example:
57
58	::
59
60	LICENSE="mandatory-license \
61	( \|\| choosable-licence1 chooseable-license-2 ) \
62	useflag? ( optional-component-license )"
63
64
65	License Groups
66	--------------
67
68	Almost all users are willing to install any software that is
69	OSI-approved. Other users are willing to install any software and
70	implicitly accept its license. To this end, portage will also need to
71	handle grouping of licenses.
72
73	At a minimum, there needs to be the groups ``OSI-APPROVED`` and
74	``NON-INTERACTIVE``. ``NON-INTERACTIVE`` licenses are those that don't
75	require interactive acceptance for it to be considered legally binding.
76	This is the current behaviour of portage.
77
78
79	ACCEPT_LICENSE
80	--------------
81
82	This GLEP proposes that a user be able to explicitly accept or decline
83	licenses by editing a new variable ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` in
84	``/etc/make.conf``. Again, to keep things simple, the syntax should be
85	similar to that of other incrementals. For example:
86
87	::
88
89	ACCEPT_LICENSE="-* accepted-license -declined-license"
90
91	As an extension, ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` must also support `license groups`_.
92	This GLEP proposes that the license group be prepended by the special
93	character "``@``". For example:
94
95	::
96
97	ACCEPT_LICENSE="-* @OSI-APPROVED"
98
99
100	Emerge Behaviour
101	----------------
102
103	At a minimum, emerge must handle unaccepted licenses the same way that
104	it handles blockers. That is, with the --pretend flag the
105	not-yet-accepted license should be listed in the output. Without the
106	--pretend flag, emerge should stop before any software is installed.
107
108	This GLEP proposes that, unlike blockers, dependencies for software
109	should be checked regardless of license acceptance. Doing so will allow
110	the user to review all necessary licenses before initiating an actual
111	emerge.
112
113	It is also proposed that the --ask option will display an unaccepted
114	license and ask for acceptance, but not update any configuration files
115	at this stage. Finally, the --verbose option should also list the
116	licenses accepted for each package.
117
118
119	Rationale
120	=========
121
122	An implementation of this proposal should make it easy for users wishing
123	to regulate their software without affecting those that don't.
124
125
126	Reference Implementation
127	========================
128
129	TODO
130
131
132	Backwards Compatibility
133	=======================
134
135	There should be no change to the user experience without the user
136	explicitly choosing to do so. This mandates that the
137	configuration variable be named ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` as some users may
138	already have it set due to ebuilds using ``eutil.eclass``'s
139	implementation. It also mandates that the default ``ACCEPT_LICENSE`` be
140	set to ``@NON-INTERACTIVE``.
141
142
143	References
144	==========
145
146	.. [1] Gentoo Linux Bug 17367
147	(http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=17367)
148	.. [2] Gentoo Linux Bug 34146
149	(http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=34146)
150
151
152	Copyright
153	=========
154
155	This document has been placed in the public domain.
156