Bug#79759: vncserver: contains non-free code
Package: vncserver
Version: 3.3.3r2-6
Severity: serious
from /usr/share/doc/vnc-common/TODO.Debian:
...
Seperate out JAVA code
I think there is a question as to whether JAVA code can be distributed
under the GPL, when Java files are byte compiled they are linked with code
from the compiler that is not distrbuted under the terms of the GPL or a
less restrictive licence. The JAVA code certainly needs a non-free compiler
to build it and hence, is not allowed in main. Therefore I intend to split
the upstream tarball into vnc and vnc-java, placing vnc-java in either
contrib or non-free.
...
Edward saw there was a problem, and didn't do anything about it. I disagree
with his description of the problem, but the solution is correct.
The source code for the classes shipped in vncserver is not in the upstream
tarball, so whether we can compile it or not is irrelevant. We don't have
the source, so it is non-free and cannot go in main.
Please remove the classes directory from the upstream tarball, create a new
upstream tarball for vnc-java, create a new debian package for vnc-java in
the non-free section, modify vncserver to not run the webserver code if
vnc-java is not installed, and make the vncserver package suggest vnc-java.
-- System Information
Debian Release: 2.2
Architecture: i386
Kernel: Linux arthur 2.2.18pre21 #1 Sat Nov 18 18:47:15 EST 2000 i586
Versions of packages vncserver depends on:
ii dpkg 1.7.2 Package maintenance system for Deb
ii libc6 2.2-5 GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
ii libvncauth0 3.3.3r2-5 Virtual network computing authenti
ii vnc-common 3.3.3r2-5 Virtual network computing server s
ii xbase-clients 4.0.1-10 miscellaneous X clients
ii xserver-common 4.0.1-11 files and utilities common to all
ii zlib1g 1:1.1.3-11 compression library - runtime
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