[Mageia-dev] Repository question: where do we put non-free+tainted RPMs?

[andre999]

Tux99 a écrit :
>
> I was looking at Mandriva non-free SRPM directory since Mageia doesn't have
> much in non-free yet.
> I haven't actually counted if the majority has source or not, so you might
> be right, but we are digressing here because like I said in the first post
> the question here in this thread is about a package that has code with a
> non-free license but is open source (and is 'tainted').
>
> To quote my initial mail:
> "... what the appropriate repository for a package is that's both non-free
> (open source but not a FOSS license) and tainted (contains sw. that is
> covered by patents in some parts of the world)."
>
> To complicate matters further this package will have dependencies to some
> other 'tainted' packages, which also a reason why 'tainted' seems more
> appropiate for this specifica package at least.

What do you mean by "open source but not a FOSS license" ?
Normally "open source" means that it is licensed to be freely 
redistributed (without royalties), with available source code.
Public domain software with available source code, although not having a 
FOSS license, is also considered free.

As for the point about potential patent claims, in the U.S. (the usual 
example), I don't know of any example of a mirror of an open source 
distro that has had problems with software patent claims.
In the U.S., software patent claims are made against those who make 
money from the software, and few such cases succeed.  No money is to be 
made by pursuing those who give away software for free.
Ubuntu, for example, has many mirrors in the U.S. carrying potentially 
patent-threatened software, without problems.

I would suggest that if the software in question is _really_ open 
source, put it in "core".  If not, put it in "non-free".
If eventually it becomes _directly_ threatened by software patent 
claims, _then_ consider transfering it to another repository.

(Besides the practical question of only responding to a potential threat 
when really needed, if you don't consider software patents legitimate, 
there is nothing inherently wrong with the software anyway.  As long as 
it works.
So why call it "tainted".)

my 2 cents :)
-- 
André