Re: Improve GDB's first user experience by reducing "print_gdb_version" output

[Mark Wielaard <mark@klomp.org>]

Hi,

On Fri, May 30, 2025 at 01:22:04PM +0200, Florian Weimer wrote:
> * Mark Wielaard:
> >> I had remembered that interactive programs should generate copyright
> >> information at startup, but the most I can find in the current GNU
> >> Maintainer's manual is
> >
> > The GPL itself contains the recommendation at the end (after the
> > actual terms and conditions) in the section "How to Apply These Terms
> > to Your New Programs". It is even shorter than Guinevere's suggestion,
> > it recommends outputting just 4 lines:
> 
> It also contains a rule that if the notice is present, you must not
> remove it and distribute the result:

It does define the "Appropriate Legal Notices" as the copyright, no
warrenty notice and how to view the license. And they can be collapsed
into one menu/command/option item if a list of them is presented.

> |   An interactive user interface displays "Appropriate Legal Notices"
> | to the extent that it includes a convenient and prominently visible
> | feature that (1) displays an appropriate copyright notice, and (2)
> | tells the user that there is no warranty for the work (except to the
> | extent that warranties are provided), that licensees may convey the
> | work under this License, and how to view a copy of this License.  If
> | the interface presents a list of user commands or options, such as a
> | menu, a prominent item in the list meets this criterion.
> 
> |    d) If the work has interactive user interfaces, each must display
> |    Appropriate Legal Notices; however, if the Program has interactive
> |    interfaces that do not display Appropriate Legal Notices, your
> |    work need not make them do so.
> 
> I don't know what the rules are for removing it upstream.

I don't think there are different rules for up or downstream. You only
have to preserve those lines of the notice that fall under the
"Appropriate Legal Notices".

Cheers,

Mark