Re: distributing precompiled binaries
Chow Loong Jin <hyperair@gmail.com> wrote: [...]
> For the Python part, the sources are completely distributed, and no
> binaries are in the tarball. However, for the Java part, only the .jar
> is distributed in the tarball. I have contacted the upstream developer
> about this issue, and he will be releasing another tarball with the
> sources for the Java portion.
I think this is a problem at the moment: DFSG 2 requires source code.
> The problem begins here: The Java portion has a build-dependency on Sun
> Microsystem's WTK[1], and it is not free[2]. However, this is just a
> build dependency, and not a runtime dependency. In fact, the .jar isn't
> even supposed to run on the target machine, it's supposed to be uploaded
> to the mobile device.
So this would be a practical problem, Fails To Build From Source, but
only for the mobile device component? I think the Java portion would
need to be in contrib at least due to the non-free build-dependency,
and probably non-free because presumably some bit of WTK ends up in
the jar file, but that may depend on the precise terms and I got a
"General Error" page when trying to view
[2] https://cds.sun.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/CDS-CDS_Developer-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewLicense-Start
> Hence, my question: Is it okay (within DFSG) for upstream to distribute
> the said .jar file, together with the sources for this .jar file, and
> for this said .jar file to be copied straight into a .deb and
> distributed as-is?
I feel that it isn't, because it fails DFSG 2 at the moment and maybe
others once the WTK-dependent sources are available. There are
several bits in http://ftp-master.debian.org/REJECT-FAQ.html
which look like they'd apply, like "Source missing" and "Non-Main".
I suspect it's probably not certain until we have some general
resolution to the wider firmware question, though.
http://www.debian.org/vote/2008/vote_003#texte
is a bit kernel-case-specific to be reliable here.
Hope that helps,
--
MJR/slef
My Opinion Only: see http://people.debian.org/~mjr/
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