Thomas Bushnell, BSG writes: > Frank Mittelbach <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~ > more ~/tex.web > > % This program is copyright (C) 1982 by D. E. Knuth; all rights are > > reserved. > > % Copying of this file is authorized only if (1) you are D. E. Knuth, or if > > % (2) you make absolutely no changes to your copy. (The WEB system provides > > % for alterations via an auxiliary file; the master file should stay > > intact.) > > > > you need more? i can probably find another 100+ files of that type. > > This does *not* say that you can change it as long as you change the > filename. That's the *point*. You've become addicted to thinking > it's the same, but it's totally different.
indeed it does not. it says you are not allowed to change it at all and in other places it tells you what you can change while still calling the program TeX. TeX the program indeed does not require a file rename upon changes, but all the rest that makes up a TeX system does. by the way a comparison to tex.web would be latex.ltx. which is sort of the source for "LaTeX the program", that too could be distributed without a file rename requirement but instead with a license like like TeX, ie has to change the works name from LaTeX to something else if it is not 100% identical in behaviour after the patch. The LPPL (even though it is currently also used for latex.ltx) really kicks in in all the surrounding work, just like Don's file name restricting kicks in there, eg in plain.tex or in the font files. > Tex.web says you cannot change it whether or not you change the > filename. And it places *no* restrictions whatsoever on what kinds of > changes you do make, provided you do so by patches. yes there are. but you are right in so far as with TeX the program we are really talking about a more general work name not about a resulting executable name or so. > (You are correct about the CM fonts, which are a different matter; I'm > speaking of tex and metafont here.) Problem is there is no point to talk about those individually. Don is not interested to have a bare TeX alone being TeX; he is interested that a file like texbook.tex is producing identical output on different TeX systems and that is where all the other files come into the game. frank
