[Twisted-Python] Including code under PSF license for backwards compatibility?

James Y Knight foom at fuhm.net
Sun Sep 12 20:44:43 EDT 2004


Regarding licensing:
Is it okay to include Python library code in twisted for purposes of 
backwards compatibility. Two examples recently:
- Heapq is new in python 2.3. Therefore, regardless of whether we 
modify it or not, if we use it, we either need to depend on python >= 
2.3, or include a copy for compatibility purposes. It has a pure python 
implementation.
- yacc on IRC wanted to use tempfile.mkstemp. This only exists on >= 
2.3. Again, pure python implementation.

Therefore,
Glyph: a pronouncement is necessary on whether, and under what 
conditions, it is acceptable to include PSF-licensed code in twisted.

Select one:
a) It is always okay. Copy freely from python into twisted.
b) It is okay, as long as the modules are included for backwards 
compatibility only and can be removed as soon as the minimum required 
version moves up to 2.3 (or whatever the latest and greatest version we 
need modules from). Also the code under PSF must be segregated in a 
separate file.
c) It is okay <fill in the blank>
d) It is never okay.

As you can probably tell, my initial inclination is (b).

James





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