+2020-05-17 Bruno Haible <bruno@clisp.org>
+
+ Clarify intended usage of the license file modules.
+ Reported by Asher Gordon <AsDaGo@posteo.net> in
+ <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2020-05/msg00126.html>.
+ * doc/licenses-texi.texi (License Texinfo sources): Mention the
+ GNU AGPL. Explain the intended usage of the modules.
+ * modules/fdl (Notice): Discourage use as a module.
+ * modules/fdl-1.3 (Notice): Likewise.
+
2020-05-17 Akim Demaille <akim@lrde.epita.fr>
hash: add hash_xinsert
@node License Texinfo sources
@section License Texinfo sources
-Gnulib provides copies of the GNU GPL, GNU LGPL, and GNU FDL licenses
-in Texinfo form. (The master location is
+Gnulib provides copies of the GNU GPL, GNU LGPL, GNU Affero GPL, and
+GNU FDL licenses in Texinfo form. (The master location is
@url{https://www.gnu.org/licenses/}). These Texinfo documents do not
have any node names and structures built into them; for your manual,
you should @code{@@include} them in an appropriate @code{@@node}.
a conventional node name.
Of course the license texts themselves should not be changed at all.
+
+The recommended way to make use of these license files, consistently
+with current practice, is as follows:
+@itemize
+@item
+The code license (GNU GPL, GNU LGPL, or GNU Affero GPL) is usually
+present as a file in the top-level directory. This is true not only for
+the release tarballs, but also in the VCS repository. The file is
+typically named @samp{COPYING} for the GNU GPL, or @samp{COPYING.LIB} or
+@samp{COPYING.LESSER} for the GNU LGPL. The presence of this file
+fulfills a legal obligation; see
+@url{https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WhyMustIInclude}.
+
+To make use of the code license in your documentation, you may request
+one of the modules @code{gpl-3.0}, @code{gpl-2.0}, @code{lgpl-3.0},
+@code{lgpl-2.1}, @code{agpl-3.0}, through a @code{gnulib-tool} invocation.
+Or you may copy the relevant Texinfo file directly into your VCS repository.
+Both approaches are equally good. The Texinfo file changes very rarely.
+@item
+The documentation license file (GNU FDL) is usually not present as a
+file in the top-level directory, because that would be ambiguous: When
+you use the GNU FDL, you need to specify the Invariant Sections, the
+Front-Cover Texts, and the Back-Cover Texts.
+
+To make use of this documentation license, copy the relevant Texinfo
+file into your VCS repository. This makes sure that anyone who receives
+a copy of your VCS repository has also received a copy of the
+documentation license. In the documentation, also state what are the
+Invariant Sections, the Front-Cover Texts, and the Back-Cover Texts.
+@end itemize