Re: [RFD] Explicitly documenting patch submission

La Monte H.P. Yarroll
2004-05-25T16:42:35Z

Linus Torvalds wrote:

>On Tue, 25 May 2004, La Monte H.P. Yarroll wrote:
>
>
>>Linus Torvalds wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>The plan is to make this very light-weight, and to fit in with how we
>>>already pass patches around - just add the sign-off to the end of the
>>>explanation part of the patch. That sign-off would be just a single line
>>>at the end (possibly after _other_ peoples sign-offs), saying:
>>>
>>> Signed-off-by: Random J Developer <random@developer.org>
>>>
>>>
>>To avoid the requirement of all submissions going through a single person,
>>we have a system of formal authorizations. Specific people are authorized
>>to release certain classes of work. Would the community object to a slight
>>modifications to the Signed-off-by lines from TimeSys? E.g.
>>
>>Signed-off-by: La Monte H.P. Yarroll <piggy@timesys.com> under TS00062
>>
>>This completes the traceability path all the way back to the VP who signed
>>off on TS00062.
>>
>>
>
>I think this is great. In general, I think people who want to add their
>own extra tags after their email address should be able to do so. We might
>even have a few standard tags for things like asking for acknowledgement
>etc.
>
>
Thanks.

>>I THINK I have a case not covered here. I sometimes need to post
>>unpublished work done by other people at my company. Since the work is
>>not yet published, the GPL doesn't really grant me any special rights.
>>The authorization I use to publish is in fact NOT an open source
>>license. I think clause (b) could probably be weakened to cover my case.
>>
>>
>
>I think the "(unless I am permitted to submit under a different license)"
>part already covers that, but yes, if we want to get really technically
>anal about it we migth spell it out.
>
>
It's an occupational hazzard for me--I talk to lawyers too much :-). Let me
see if I can get a blessed recommendation for rephrasing clause (b).

I don't think the authorizations I work with qualify as licenses.

>>I'd like to include a link between the external path and our internal
>>procedures.
>>
>>
>
>Would the extra tag at the end be sufficient for that, or are you talking
>about something more?
>
>
The extra tag suffices.

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