[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Bug#729203: [FFmpeg-devel] Reintroducing FFmpeg to Debian



On Fri, Aug 01, 2014 at 01:50:26AM +0200, Pau Garcia i Quiles wrote:
> I'm all for forks but if you do a fork, at least you do it with ethics:
> different library names, sonames, etc.

I have nothing resembling an informed opinion on the libav vs. ffmpeg
upstream conflict, but this is just wrong.  There is *nothing* unethical
about reusing the library names and sonames when forking.  In fact, the
right to continue using such interfaces when creating a fork is a very
important principle.

There may have been a dispute over a domain name, and over which of two
upstream development communities is the "rightful" successor to the project. 
But the only party that "owns" the interface names in Debian is Debian
itself.  There are various /pragmatic/ reasons why we should care about how
each name is being used in the wider community, but that does not mean that
the side of the fork that keeps the domain name, that has a majority of mind
share, or that wins out in the end should be regarded as having a morally
superior claim *because* of this.

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                    http://www.debian.org/
slangasek@ubuntu.com                                     vorlon@debian.org

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: Digital signature


Reply to: