sillypixie's Journal: Bloody OSS licensing

Is there such a thing as BSD-licensing for dummies? Because I'd buy it.

I get that this is the license template. Now WTF do I do with it?

Do I put it in a single file in the root of my project? Do I have to add it (or something else) as a header for every file? Is there anything else that has to be done? I know assignment of copyright is a bitch, both retroactively and for future contributors, and I also have work to do on getting proof that code from one of my original contributors isn't entailed in any way -- but for now -- all I want to do is get the current moment's worth of code licensed and legal. Should that be so fricking difficult? It is impossible to find documentation that just says what to do and doesn't wax into philosophy. I don't give a rat's ass about the philosophy at this point. I don't care about proving anything down the line. I just want to know what text I have to add to what files in order to have a thing that is a BSD-licensed thing.

I need to go kick something.

Pretty much

[Chemisor]

Put your name in the copyright line in the template. Put the resulting license in a file called LICENSE or COPYING at the root of your project. Then each source file ought to begin with something like:

// This file is part of the Fabulous Project.
//
// Copyright (C) 2007 by sillypixie <[e-mail]>
// This file is free software, distributed under the MIT License.
//
// file.cc
//

That's what I do, anyway.

Re:

[Shadow Wrought]

Don't forget to include the bit about letting SeriousPixie out of her shackles if someone takes advantage of your code;-)

Re:

[Chemisor]

> letting SeriousPixie out of her shackles if someone takes advantage of your code;-)

Ah, a GPL fanatic! You are cordially invited to read the lengthy diatribe [slashdot.org] I usually send to your kind.

Re:

[Shadow Wrought]

Ah, a GPL fanatic!

Alas, no, I am much, much worse. I'm an unabashed punster and couldn't help myself in finding pix's alter-ego, who would, of course, be the exact opposite of silly. Though I did read a bit of your manifesto;-)

Re:

[sillypixie]

Oooh cool! My alter-ego has an alter-ego. Hm, there could be some interesting twists & turns in that tale...

*grin*

Pix

Re:

[sillypixie]

Ok see that just calmed me right down, thank you so much for that.

Now - I'm thinking that it's better to list every author on the copyright notice that has touched the page, so that there is an ongoing list? Or does insanity lie in that direction? Is that what ryanr means when he says he keeps the attribution in the docs?

Now I really want to own the domain enchanted.forest.net :) Or at least to get that email address...

Re:

[Chemisor]

> Now - I'm thinking that it's better to list every author on the copyright notice that has touched the page

Noble, but impractical. Most projects just have another file at root level called AUTHORS, where every contributor is listed. Really large projects, like the Linux kernel, also have a separate list of maintainers for each module, but I doubt your project is that large.

Re:

[m50d]

I'd go for the names of everyone who's made a copyrightable contribution, though different projects do it different ways. You may also want to include a disclaimer of warranty.

Attribution

[ryanr]

We put the acknowledgment in our docs.