Switch license.html to BSD, and delete the old "FSF screwed over Mepis" rant (which while still true, is no longer relevant).

2 files changed, 15 insertions, 401 deletions

diff --git a/www/license.html b/www/license.html
index 108492c1..8ee6670b 100755
--- a/www/license.html
+++ b/www/license.html
@@ -1,355 +1,23 @@
 <!--#include file="header.html" -->
 
-<h2>Toybox is licensed under the terms of GPLv2.</h2>
+<h2>Toybox is licensed under a simple 2-clause MIT/BSD style license:</h2>
 
-<p>The complete text of the General Public License version 2 is included in the
-file LICENSE in each source tarball.  Version 2 is the only version of this
-license which toybox is distributed under.  (I.E. It doesn't have the strange
-"or later" dual license some projects have.)</p>
+<blockquote>
+<p>Copyright (C) 2006 by Rob Landley &lt;rob@landley.net&gt;
 
-<p>The complete text of GPLv2 is at the end of this page.</p>
+<p>Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
+purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
+copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.</p>
 
-<h2>Clarifications</h2>
+<p>THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES
+WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
+MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR
+ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
+WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN
+ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
+OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.</p>
+</blockquote>
 
-<p>The GPL is a bit old and crufty in places, but it's still the best open
-source license there is, and lots of source code (like the Linux kernel) is
-distributed under it.  Lots of de facto interpretations have sprung up to deal
-with things like the fact that it predates the internet service provider
-industry.  Nothing in the rest of this page changes the actual license, so you
-can ignore the rest of this page if you're happy with a strict reading of
-GPLv2.  But just to be clear, here's how the authors of this project are
-interpreting the sucker where it says something stupid.</p>
-
-<p>Section 1: <b>You have permission to rephrase the license notice on
-individual source files.</b>  This doesn't mean you can change what license the
-code is under, or that you can remove other people's copyright notices.  You
-certainly can't change the text of the GPL itself.  What it means is that if
-a file says "see file LICENSE in this tarball for details" and you use this
-code in a project that distributes source in zip files instead of
-tarballs, or your package's copy of the GPLv2 text isn't in a file called
-"LICENSE", it's silly to preserve an obsolete notice verbatim and add some
-kind of "correction" after the old notice.</p>
-
-<p>Some lawyers seem to think a strict reading of GPLv2 section 1 (and later
-sections including section 1 by reference) requires maintaining old notices in
-perpetuity.  Even if you had code that used to be dual licensed, but you created
-a derived work that's just under one of the two licenses, and thus keeping the
-old license notice is not just strange or misleading but actually incorrect for
-the new file.  (For example, splicing GPLv2 only code into a dual "GPLv2 or
-later" project produces a result that can be distributed under the terms of
-GPLv2, but not GPLv3.  The result of that cannot be distributed under the "or
-later" part, so a license notice implying it could is factually wrong.)</p>
-
-<p>I don't know if we're ever going to add any dual licensed code into the tree,
-but I want to head that one off now.  The actual license text is the important
-thing, the per-file notice is a courtesy.</p>
-
-<p>Section 2: <b>We don't put the change history in comments in the source
-code, we put it in our source control system.</b>  We have source control for a
-reason.  That's where this information belongs, and that's where we put it.
-It's world readable on the web, and you can download a snapshot of the whole
-repository if you like.  The GPL predates modern source control systems, but
-this project does not.</p>
-
-<p>Section 3: <b>We distribute source code through the internet.</b>  If
-your "written offer" includes a URL, and the source code remains anonymously
-downloadable at that location for three years after you stop distributing
-binaries, life is good as far as we're concerned.  (No, you can't encrypt it,
-or require a login, or otherwise be slimy bastards acting in bad faith.  We'll
-come after you if you're not satisfying the terms of the license, this is just
-talking about how you can satisfy those terms without having to mail physical
-media circa 1991.  Most people are already doing it this way, we're just
-being explicit about it.)</p>
-
-<p>If you're wondering why this particular clarification exists,
-there's a <a href=licenserant.html>longer explanation</a>.</p>
-
-<p>Finally, <b>section 9 does not apply to this project.</b>  We're specifying
-a specific version, it's version 2.  There is no "or later versions" clause to
-require interpreting, so none of that triggers for us.</p>
-
-<hr>
-<pre>
-		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
-		       Version 2, June 1991
-
- Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-     59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
- Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
- of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
-
-			    Preamble
-
-  The licenses for most software are designed to take away your
-freedom to share and change it.  By contrast, the GNU General Public
-License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free
-software--to make sure the software is free for all its users.  This
-General Public License applies to most of the Free Software
-Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to
-using it.  (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by
-the GNU Library General Public License instead.)  You can apply it to
-your programs, too.
-
-  When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not
-price.  Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you
-have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for
-this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it
-if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it
-in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.
-
-  To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid
-anyone to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights.
-These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you
-distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it.
-
-  For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether
-gratis or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that
-you have.  You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the
-source code.  And you must show them these terms so they know their
-rights.
-
-  We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and
-(2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy,
-distribute and/or modify the software.
-
-  Also, for each author's protection and ours, we want to make certain
-that everyone understands that there is no warranty for this free
-software.  If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we
-want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so
-that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original
-authors' reputations.
-
-  Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software
-patents.  We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free
-program will individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the
-program proprietary.  To prevent this, we have made it clear that any
-patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all.
-
-  The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and
-modification follow.
-
-		    GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
-   TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION
-
-  0. This License applies to any program or other work which contains
-a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed
-under the terms of this General Public License.  The "Program", below,
-refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program"
-means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law:
-that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it,
-either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another
-language.  (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in
-the term "modification".)  Each licensee is addressed as "you".
-
-Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not
-covered by this License; they are outside its scope.  The act of
-running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program
-is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the
-Program (independent of having been made by running the Program).
-Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.
-
-  1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's
-source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you
-conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate
-copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the
-notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty;
-and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License
-along with the Program.
-
-You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and
-you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.
-
-  2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
-of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and
-distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
-above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:
-
-    a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices
-    stating that you changed the files and the date of any change.
-
-    b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in
-    whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
-    part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
-    parties under the terms of this License.
-
-    c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
-    when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
-    interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
-    announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
-    notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
-    a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
-    these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
-    License.  (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
-    does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
-    the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
-
-These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole.  If
-identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program,
-and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in
-themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those
-sections when you distribute them as separate works.  But when you
-distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based
-on the Program, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of
-this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the
-entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it.
-
-Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest
-your rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to
-exercise the right to control the distribution of derivative or
-collective works based on the Program.
-
-In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program
-with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of
-a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under
-the scope of this License.
-
-  3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
-under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
-Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:
-
-    a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
-    source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
-    1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,
-
-    b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
-    years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
-    cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
-    machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
-    distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
-    customarily used for software interchange; or,
-
-    c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
-    to distribute corresponding source code.  (This alternative is
-    allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
-    received the program in object code or executable form with such
-    an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)
-
-The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for
-making modifications to it.  For an executable work, complete source
-code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any
-associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to
-control compilation and installation of the executable.  However, as a
-special exception, the source code distributed need not include
-anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary
-form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
-operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
-itself accompanies the executable.
-
-If distribution of executable or object code is made by offering
-access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent
-access to copy the source code from the same place counts as
-distribution of the source code, even though third parties are not
-compelled to copy the source along with the object code.
-
-  4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program
-except as expressly provided under this License.  Any attempt
-otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is
-void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License.
-However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under
-this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
-parties remain in full compliance.
-
-  5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not
-signed it.  However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or
-distribute the Program or its derivative works.  These actions are
-prohibited by law if you do not accept this License.  Therefore, by
-modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the
-Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and
-all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying
-the Program or works based on it.
-
-  6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the
-Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the
-original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to
-these terms and conditions.  You may not impose any further
-restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein.
-You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to
-this License.
-
-  7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent
-infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues),
-conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or
-otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not
-excuse you from the conditions of this License.  If you cannot
-distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this
-License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you
-may not distribute the Program at all.  For example, if a patent
-license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by
-all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then
-the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to
-refrain entirely from distribution of the Program.
-
-If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under
-any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to
-apply and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other
-circumstances.
-
-It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any
-patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any
-such claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the
-integrity of the free software distribution system, which is
-implemented by public license practices.  Many people have made
-generous contributions to the wide range of software distributed
-through that system in reliance on consistent application of that
-system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing
-to distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot
-impose that choice.
-
-This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to
-be a consequence of the rest of this License.
-
-  8. If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in
-certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the
-original copyright holder who places the Program under this License
-may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding
-those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among
-countries not thus excluded.  In such case, this License incorporates
-the limitation as if written in the body of this License.
-
-  9. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions
-of the General Public License from time to time.  Such new versions will
-be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to
-address new problems or concerns.
-
-Each version is given a distinguishing version number.  If the Program
-specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any
-later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions
-either of that version or of any later version published by the Free
-Software Foundation.  If the Program does not specify a version number of
-this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software
-Foundation.
-
-  10. If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free
-programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author
-to ask for permission.  For software which is copyrighted by the Free
-Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes
-make exceptions for this.  Our decision will be guided by the two goals
-of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and
-of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally.
-
-			    NO WARRANTY
-
-  11. BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
-FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.  EXCEPT WHEN
-OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
-PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED
-OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
-MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  THE ENTIRE RISK AS
-TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU.  SHOULD THE
-PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING,
-REPAIR OR CORRECTION.
-
-  12. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
-WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
-REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES,
-INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING
-OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
-TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY
-YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER
-PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
-POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
-
-		     END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
-</pre>
+<P>The text of this license is included in the file LICENSE in the source.</p>
 
 <!--#include file="footer.html" -->
diff --git a/www/licenserant.html b/www/licenserant.html
deleted file mode 100755
index b6af90f3..00000000
--- a/www/licenserant.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-<!--#include file="header.html" -->
-
-<p>The reason for the clarification of section 3 is that
-<a href="http://www.linux.com/articles/55285">what the FSF did to Mepis</a> was inexcusable.  (Further discussed
-in <a href="http://www.busybox.net/lists/busybox/2006-June/022797.html">this
-thread</a>.)</p>
-
-<p>A small Linux distributor named Mepis (more or less a guy in his garage)
-partnered with a big linux distributor called Ubuntu (multi-million dollar
-company with offices in more than one country).  Mepis put out a press release
-quoting Ubuntu's founder about how cool the partnership was, and then Mepis
-pointed to Ubuntu's source repository for GPL packages it was using unmodified
-Ubuntu versions of.  And the FSF went after them.</p>
-
-<p>As far as we're concerned, Mepis didn't do anything wrong, and the FSF
-was a bully.  The FSF was wrong when it tried to make an example out of a
-company that was acting in good faith.</p>
-
-<p>To make sure the FSF doesn't pick on anyone else against our wishes, we're
-clarifying that if you didn't modify the source code, and the binaries you're
-distributing can be entirely regenerated from a public upstream source,
-pointing to that upstream source in good faith is good enough for us.  As
-long as the upstream source doesn't object to the extra bandwidth,
-and the correct source code stays available at that location you specify
-for the duration of your responsiblity to redistribute source, life is good.</p>
-
-<p>There are a few common sense caveats.  This doesn't mean it's fair for a
-Fortune 500 company to point millions of people at somebody's home DSL line
-(certainly not without asking first).  And if the source that's available there
-is not the complete corresponding source to the binaries you distributed, then
-obviously you haven't fulfilled your obligations by pointing to some _other_
-source.  (If you modified it, we want the patch, and claiming you didn't
-modify it when you actually did would be fraud.)  And if the code stops being
-available at that location, you're not off the hook and have to find a new
-location or put up your own mirror.</p>
-
-<p>So this is not a "get out of jail free" card: It's still your responsibility
-to make the complete corresponding source available.  We're just saying you can
-reasonably delegate to something like Sourceforge or ibilbio, and as long as
-everyone who wants the source can get it, we're happy.  If the site you point
-to objects or goes down, responsibility obviously reverts to you.  But there
-are plenty of high-bandwidth places that mirror open source for free these
-days: sourceforge, OSL, ISC, ibiblio, archive.org, and so on.</p>
-
-<p>Oh, one last note: if people come to you asking "where's the source"
-and your answer doesn't satisfy them, ask yourself "did I identify which
-specific version I used, and if I didn't modify it at all did I explicitly
-tell them this"?  If you don't identify the source you used in enough detail
-for open source developers to reproduce what you did, you haven't complied with
-your license obligations yet.  Identifying the specific source you used
-is a very important part of the "written offer" bit that often gets
-overlooked.</p>
-
-<!--#include file="footer.html" -->