diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/ref/preface.texi')
-rw-r--r-- | doc/ref/preface.texi | 113 |
1 files changed, 113 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/ref/preface.texi b/doc/ref/preface.texi new file mode 100644 index 000000000..87f481015 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/ref/preface.texi @@ -0,0 +1,113 @@ +@c -*-texinfo-*- +@c This is part of the GNU Guile Reference Manual. +@c Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2018 +@c Free Software Foundation, Inc. +@c See the file guile.texi for copying conditions. + +@node Preface +@unnumbered Preface + +This manual describes how to use Guile, GNU's Ubiquitous Intelligent +Language for Extensions. It relates particularly to Guile version +@value{VERSION}. + +@menu +* Contributors:: +* Guile License:: +@end menu + +@node Contributors +@unnumberedsec Contributors to this Manual + +Like Guile itself, the Guile reference manual is a living entity, cared +for by many people over a long period of time. As such, it is hard to +identify individuals of whom to say ``yes, this person, she wrote the +manual.'' + +Still, among the many contributions, some caretakers stand out. First +among them is Neil Jerram, who has worked on this document for over ten +years. Neil's attention both to detail and to the big picture have made +a real difference in the understanding of a generation of Guile hackers. + +Next we should note Marius Vollmer's effect on this document. Marius +maintained Guile during a period in which Guile's API was +clarified---put to the fire, so to speak---and he had the good sense to +effect the same change on the manual. + +Martin Grabmueller made substantial contributions throughout the manual +in preparation for the Guile 1.6 release, including filling out a lot of +the documentation of Scheme data types, control mechanisms and +procedures. In addition, he wrote the documentation for Guile's SRFI +modules and modules associated with the Guile REPL. + +Ludovic Court@`es and Andy Wingo, who co-maintain Guile since 2010, +along with Mark Weaver, have also made their dent in the manual, writing +documentation for new modules and subsystems that arrived with Guile +2.0. Ludovic, Andy, and Mark are also responsible for ensuring that the +existing text retains its relevance as Guile evolves. @xref{Reporting +Bugs}, for more information on reporting problems in this manual. + +The content for the first versions of this manual incorporated and was +inspired by documents from Aubrey Jaffer, author of the SCM system on +which Guile was based, and from Tom Lord, Guile's first maintainer. +Although most of this text has been rewritten, all of it was important, +and some of the structure remains. + +The manual for the first versions of Guile were largely written, edited, +and compiled by Mark Galassi and Jim Blandy. In particular, Jim wrote +the original tutorial on Guile's data representation and the C API for +accessing Guile objects. + +Significant portions were also contributed by Thien-Thi Nguyen, Kevin +Ryde, Mikael Djurfeldt, Christian Lynbech, Julian Graham, Gary Houston, +Tim Pierce, and a few dozen more. You, reader, are most welcome to join +their esteemed ranks. Visit Guile's web site at +@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/guile/} to find out how to get +involved. + + +@node Guile License +@unnumberedsec The Guile License +@cindex copying +@cindex GPL +@cindex LGPL +@cindex license + +Guile is Free Software. Guile is copyrighted, not public domain, and +there are restrictions on its distribution or redistribution, but +these restrictions are designed to permit everything a cooperating +person would want to do. + +@itemize @bullet +@item +The Guile library (libguile) and supporting files are published under +the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 or later. +See the files @file{COPYING.LESSER} and @file{COPYING}. + +@item +The Guile readline module is published under the terms of the GNU +General Public License version 3 or later. See the file @file{COPYING}. + +@item +The manual you're now reading is published under the terms of the GNU +Free Documentation License (@pxref{GNU Free Documentation License}). +@end itemize + +C code linking to the Guile library is subject to terms of that +library. Basically such code may be published on any terms, provided +users can re-link against a new or modified version of Guile. + +C code linking to the Guile readline module is subject to the terms of +that module. Basically such code must be published on Free terms. + +Scheme level code written to be run by Guile (but not derived from +Guile itself) is not restricted in any way, and may be published on any +terms. We encourage authors to publish on Free terms. + +You must be aware there is no warranty whatsoever for Guile. This is +described in full in the licenses. + + +@c Local Variables: +@c TeX-master: "guile.texi" +@c End: |