Re: LTSP packages
On Tue, Jun 18, 2002 at 06:46:44AM -0400, Tom Allison wrote:
> I noticed that the ltsp.org has a series of GPLed debian packages
> for use in installing the lstp client/server files necessary.
>
> I am wondering why these packages have not been incorporated into
> the Debian Package library as official packages?
>
> I asked on the ltsp list and the response was two fold:
>
> The lstp .deb maintaner was not yet on the Debian Team.
> --Why can't someone sponsor him and get it in?
>
> The ltsp .deb packages would have to be 'non-free' and Debian is
> discouraging non-free packages. I guess I don't get it. it's GPLed.
Er, that seems odd. Where did he get this information? Do the packages
depend on anything non-free? (If so, they would be in contrib, not
non-free.) I can't find any relevant discussion of this on the obvious
Debian mailing lists in the last year and a half.
I've just had a look at the copyright file from the ltsp-core package.
Now, it says it contains "libraries and programs in binary form only"
from a Red Hat distribution, and indeed everything in Debian main is
expected to come with source code. However, I don't see any reason why
the Debian source package for ltsp couldn't come with the source code
from redhat.com and compile it itself; it would be complicated, but
surely not insurmountable. If that really does turn out to be
impossible, one of the standard examples of packages that go in contrib
is "free packages which require ... packages which are not in our
archive at all for compilation or execution", and ltsp could be
constructed as an installer package that goes there until something
better is sorted out.
I'm not qualified to maintain the packages myself, but if you want to
put the ltsp .deb maintainer in touch with me then I'd be happy to try
to clear up any misunderstandings and do what I can to help.
> In any event. Even if there are packages of this type that are made
> available to Debian and Debian refuses to acknowledge them directly
> or indirectly, Debian is the one who loses.
Every Debian package must have a maintainer in Debian (sponsored or
otherwise). Conversely, all it takes to get a package into Debian is:
(a) a maintainer; (b) agreement from those who run the archive, which
generally consists of a licensing and sanity check rather than being any
kind of censorship board (I've never had a problem with getting any of
my packages in).
With a few notable exceptions, any notion of Debian refusing to
acknowledge a third-party package is usually based on a
misunderstanding.
> This would implicate that Debian doesn't have the technical support
> base on this project (and others?) and may lead someone to walk away
> from using Debian.
I'd really like to hear more information about this particular case to
back up this sort of comment. I had a brief look through the
ltsp-discuss mailing list (the web archives were very slow for me, so I
didn't get far), but it looks like the replies to your question there
were sent privately.
Cheers,
--
Colin Watson [cjwatson@flatline.org.uk]
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-request@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
Reply to: