This is a modified copy of PFV howto by lee797, adapted for the Kernel Freedom Verification (KFV).
Once you have volunteered to verify a section or want to work on a section, checking the license and documenting it in the wiki is a pretty simple process.
Verifying a package
First you have to have a working environment. You need to download the version of the kernel that will come with the next release of the Ubuntu LTS (the linux-2.6.24_12.22 as of 27 march 2008).
So create a new directory and run the get_kfv_environment script (don't forget to run chmod +x on it) in it or follow the instruction below.
If you don't want to use the above script then download this three files in it :
linux_2.6.24.orig.tar.gz (56.3 MiB)
linux_2.6.24-12.22.diff.gz (3.5 MiB)
linux_2.6.24-12.22.dsc (2.1 KiB)
Then go to this directory and run :
dpkg-source -x linux_2.6.24-12.22.dsc
After that, create a symbolic link to the directory that has just been created, in command line:
ln -s linux-2.6.24 linux-2.6.24_12.22
Then go to the list of files which need verification and follow the guidelines for verification.
Documenting in the wiki
It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basic editing techniques of PmWiki before you start in earnest. The formatting rules are really very easy, and you will find that it takes a matter of minutes to pick up the basics.
When you open a link on the package list that you have volunteered for, a blank wiki page will automatically be created for that link. It is on this page that you will document the license information for that particular list.
Set up a table by running the kfv.el script inside Emacs. For an example of the result, follow this link (here is its source).
The same license that you have checked will usually be available in the licenses section of the wiki, and this is what you should probably link to in the "license" column of your table. If the file does not contain a copy of the license, you can consider it under GPLv2 (as the linux kernel is under GPLv2); or if you think it incomplete, just link to a new wiki page, copy/paste the license(s) and include any information that you may think relevant, common sense should be used here. In this case, you should also inform the gnewsense-users list to know how to proceed (free or unfree).
Finally, if a package can be verified as free enter yes in the "Free?" column of your table. If the license is questionable report it and document it anyway. You should also fill a bug report for the suspect package here, just follow the 'new bug' link and fill out the form with relevant info. If the package is removed from gNewSense you can then remove it from your table, until then it should be documented just as the free packages.
Frequent situations
If the license is found |
Free? |
Action |
link to the corresponding license |
Yes |
Continue with next section |
link to the corresponding license |
Not |
report it and rise a bug |
If the license doesn't specify version |
Free? |
Action |
contact the author |
-- |
-- |
If there is no license |
Free? |
Action |
Assumed as part of the kernel, link to the GPLv2 |
Yes |
Continue with next section |
This table must be filled and expanded. -- Ark74
Modifications to the wiki
Add to your amendments a comment for the wiki Recent Changes, it can be tracked easily by reading the changes you made.
Just write a brief comment on the Summary: box so it is saved at the same time that the changes.
Remember to use Preview to avoid do many unnecessary changes.