[tex-live] distribution policy

[Frank Küster]

Ulrike Fischer <news2 at nililand.de> wrote:

> Am Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:29:28 +0100 schrieb Robin Fairbairns:
>
>> i reckon a document that needs a non-public text font is still usable
>> (with care) by those who don't have that font.  however, a document that
>> needs an image is unlikely to be satisfactory without it.
>
> That wasn't what I meant. Certainly the graphic (the png or pdf or eps
> or mps-file) itself should be in the sources of the documentation. But
> what is with the source of the graphic? 

I think it should be present.  This is about the freedom to modify
software, isn't it?  And if I modify the software such that the
corresponding documentation change requires a slightly different
graphic, a free software should also provide the source of the
graphics. Then I can just recreate the graphics with the changes
needed. 

> They could all be included in the theory in the preamble, no problem
> there. But this would mean (like cleaning the sources) that I would have
> to postprocess the documentation and it would take me some time to
> figure out how to do it in a reliable way. I simply don't write my
> tex-files and private packages in a way that is suitable for the public.
> They always contain comments, remainders and bits of code. I will
> perhaps sometime in the future try to set up something that gives a
> sensible cleaned source, but currently I have other things on my mind.

Is there really any private content in there, in the sense that you
don't want others to read it (like rants about others or remarks about
your psychological conditions which lead to not continue some idea...)?
Or is it just "ugly"? 

If it is just "ugly", why not upload it? If anyone cares for the
sources, and is annoyed by the "ugly" comments as much as you expect,
they'll remove them. And as soon as they do it the third time with the
third version downloaded from CTAN (or earlier in case the person is
pretty clever), they'll send you a patch for "something that gives a
sensible cleaned source".

Regards, Frank
-- 
Frank Küster
Debian Developer (TeXLive)
ADFC Miltenberg
B90/Grüne KV Miltenberg