#317 uncertain license for the .inc header files

[Maxim Cournoyer]

Hello,

After someone offered a package definition for gputils for the GNU Guix package manager [0], it was brought to attention that the header files included in the source of gputils may not be compatible with the GPL license of gputils.

I haven't found the exact distribution terms of the Microchip authored source files, but a similar problem in SDCC investigated couple years back and direct communication with someone from Microchip and they mentioned that they'd like the header files to state that "they are only to be used with authentic Microchip devices" [1], which is incompatible with freedom 0 of the GPL ("The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose").

In SDCC, this was resolved by adding a --non-free build/run-time option to control the use of the non-free files. For more information, refer to the excellent analysis of Simon in [0], which the above attempted to vulgarise.

Sadly, this means that currently gputils cannot be packade in GNU Guix, which follows the Free System Distribution Guidelines (GNU FSDG) [2]. I hope this can change

Thank you,

Maxim

[0] http://issues.guix.gnu.org/44557#1
[1] https://sourceforge.net/p/sdcc/mailman/sdcc-devel/thread/1DB7F50D3A07E6439E44C13B1A4470520D09F306%40CHN-CL-MAIL01.mchp-main.com/
[2] https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html

[Anonymous]

I see two solutions:
1) In most jurisdictions, the files are free, as they are not copyrightable (see discussion on debian-legl: https://debian-legal.debian.narkive.com/gGuSWDyP/are-register-names-and-locations-under-copyright)
2) By now, Microchip provides the XC8 package, which includes header files (in a different format, but containing the same information) under the free 3-clause BSD license.