mpsql - why is it non-free?
I am thinking about applying to become a maintainer, and was looking
through the orphaned packages. mpsql caught my eye, as my day job is
usually 9-to-5 SQL, and my boss has asked me to look into pgsql for
our company.
So potentially I could have some time to work on this. Anyway, I saw
that it is in the non-free distribution. I just wondered why that
was. I searched the debian-legal archives all the way back, not a peep
about mpsql. And the license seems innocuous enough to my (admittedly
untrained) eye:
--- excerpted from README ----
MPSQL - An Interactive Query Tool for PostgresSQL
This directory contains version 2.1 of MPSQL.
The author can be reached via Email: keidav@mutinybaysoftware.com
or visit http://www.mutinybaysoftware.com
MPSQL is not public domain software. It is copyrighted by Mutiny
Bay Software but may be used according to the licensing
terms of the the copyright at the end of this document.
--- 8>< ----
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
documentation for any purpose, without fee, and without a written agreement
is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this
paragraph and the following two paragraphs appear in all copies.
IN NO EVENT SHALL MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR
DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING
LOST PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS
DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED HEREUNDER IS
ON AN "AS IS" BASIS, AND MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE HAS NO OBLIGATIONS TO
PROVIDE MAINTENANCE, SUPPORT, UPDATES, ENHANCEMENTS, OR MODIFICATIONS.
--- end excerpt -----
The orphan announcement says upstream is no longer maintaining this
package, but I have cc'd the listed address. I'd rather work on
free software, but since this could have work applicability, I thought
it would be worth checking into. Does anyone see a reason this is
non-free?
--
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| <http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/installmanual> |
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| Chris Tillman tillman@azstarnet.com |
| May the Source be with you |
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