[REUSE] Default handling of submodules

[Max Mehl]

Currently, the REUSE specification does not clearly communicate whether
a project's Git submodules have to be REUSE compliant as well. This has
been an open issue for a while [^1].

The REUSE helper tool does ignore Git submodules by default:

* If one wants to reuse components of a submodule, they would probably
  reuse from the submodules main repository directly and not from the
  project including the submodule.
* The REUSE adopter should not carry the burden of making the submodules
  also REUSE compliant in order to enjoy having a REUSE compliant
  project.

However, the tool also allows to include submodules into the lint (and
other subcommands) using the `--include-submodules` argument.

Taking aside the tool situation, how shall the REUSE specification
handle submodules by default? Like the tool, so allowing the adopter to
ignore them, or the other way round? Or shall REUSE continue to not
touch this issue at all?


So no clearly defined suggestion but rather a continuation of a
discussion. Please share your opinion on this in reply to this mail.
Thank you!


Best,
Max


[^1]: https://github.com/fsfe/reuse-docs/issues/36

-- 
Max Mehl - Programme Manager - Free Software Foundation Europe
Contact and information: https://fsfe.org/about/mehl | @mxmehl
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