[Distutils] License for distribute_setup.py?

[Alex Clark]

On 2012-11-24 17:53:08 +0000, Eric McDonald said:

> Hi,
> 
> The distribute project web site said that this is the mailing list for
> it, so I hope I'm asking my question in the right place.
> 
> I've googled around some (including the archives for this list) and
> looked through some of the files at
> https://bitbucket.org/tarek/distribute/src, but have been unable to find
> out what the licensing terms for the 'distribute_setup.py' script,


The setup.py loosely defines "PSF or ZPL". I'm not sure if this is a 
result of the fork or not (setuptools setup.py defines "PSF" only, I 
think.)


> which
> is made available to be bundled with other project's sources, are.


How so?


> My
> research discovered that sources for the original PEAK setuptools can be
> under either the PSF or Zope licenses; I assume that a derivative work,
> such as distribute (?), would continue to be licensed along those lines.


Read the license terms:

- http://old.zope.org/Resources/License/ZPL-2.1
- 
http://docs.python.org/2/license.html#terms-and-conditions-for-accessing-or-otherwise-using-python 



> 
> As 'distribute_setup.py' is in the same repo as the distribute sources,
> one might guess that it would also have the same license.


I don't think you have to guess :-)


> But, since
> this is a file intended to be used in other projects, I think a
> clarification on the issue would be nice. (Sorry, if I missed something
> obvious.)


I'm not sure why you say it's intended to be used in other projects. In 
any event: IANAL but it seems to me that if you use a portion of 
distribute in your software (i.e. distribute_setup.py) you are using 
distribute, period. I'm not sure if there is any value in making the 
distinction between "a file from the software" and "the software".


> 
> Thanks,
>   Eric
> 
> P.S. Not trying to create a ruckus about licensing. I am just trying to
> catalog all "alternative" licenses in effect for a project that I am
> working on.
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> Distutils-SIG maillist  -  Distutils-SIG at python.org
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-- 
Alex Clark · https://www.gittip.com/aclark4life/