Re: Are DFSG free package in non-us part of Debian?
On Sat, Nov 14, 1998 at 08:31:23PM -0500, Raul Miller wrote:
>
> Also, it would be nice if non-US packages were organized the same
> was as the rest of debian [into non-free, contrib and main, with
> individual directories for each section]. I don't care if empty
> directories are never created, but that structure is useful and
> conveys some significant information.
This sounds like a good idea. Seeing as non-US can be DFSG compliant in
that they (the software) have a compliant license, they should be granted
this label. It is not the authors nor the licenses fault that they are not
freely distributable. I don't think that the DFSG was meant to base it's
yes-or-no decision on lame self-serving international laws that have
nothing to do with the software directly.
BUT, i still believe that you cannot make a main package depend on a
non-US package under the current distribution techniques. Now seeing as
other software venders can legally distribute such things (Netscapes 128
SSL comes to mind), the question is do we have the capability to enforce a
"US" and "Domestic" distribution? Having something in the control file to
denote whether the package falls into US only, or Domestic would be easy.
The other question remains is how much debian can be held accountable for
it's enforcement (or lack of) controlling the distribution of this
it's US only distribution?
If those questions can be answered, then that would provide a lot of
insight on how this idea can go forward.
--
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Ben Collins <b.m.collins@larc.nasa.gov> Debian GNU/Linux
UnixGroup Admin - Jordan Systems Inc. bcollins@debian.org
------ -- ----- - - ------- ------- -- The Choice of the GNU Generation
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