Re: Migration of non-free packages to testing

[Andreas Tille <tillea@rki.de>]

On 6 Nov 2002, James Troup wrote:

> Err, no, that's a reason for them to not be distributed at all.  If
> you have a real example of such a package please file a serious bug on
> it.
Perhaps I was a little bit short:  I had treetool in mind, which we have
explicite permission to distribute, but ...

  No licence yet (still discussing) but I have an authorization:

  Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 14:50:05 -0500 (20:50 CET)
  To: Stephane Bortzmeyer <bortzmeyer@pasteur.fr>
  From: mrmike <mrmike@clickbang.com>
  Subject: Re: Intent to make a Debian Linux package of treetool

  >Hello,
  >
  >I write to you as the author of the TreeTool package. I plan to make
  >a Linux Debian package of TreeTool and I would like your authorization
  >and some information about the TreeTool licence.
  >
  {SNIP}
  >Yours,
  >
  >Stéphane Bortzmeyer
  >Pasteur Institute

  Thanks for your interest in treetool.  While treetool is "free"; some
  portions are copyright the University of Illlinois.  I am currently working
  on getting permission from them to obtain clear rights to the package; in
  the meantime, I cannot place the program under the GNU license (which is my
  desire).  I do have permission to distribute the program, so you are
  welcome to include it under the "non-free" area of Debian Linux.

  When these issues are cleared up, I will place the package under the GNU
  license and let you know.


I tried several times to contact the author again but failed.  The
program is definitely used by several users and would need a general
overwork - but noone can do this because there is no statement about
changes.

Kind regards

        Andreas.