Re: Can Debian packaging changes require a CLA?
On Mon, Feb 17, 2020 at 09:45:32AM +0100, Florian Weimer wrote:
> * Wouter Verhelst:
>
> > On Fri, Feb 14, 2020 at 06:38:00PM +0100, Florian Weimer wrote:
> >> It would also make the package unmaintainable if the original packer
> >> loses interest, so the package would not be suitable for inclusion in
> >> a stable release.
> >
> > Eh, it doesn't?
> >
> > A CLA is "you're allowed to change this, but if you want us to accept it
> > then you have to give us these rights, otherwise we'll reject your
> > contribution".
>
> Ordinarily, yes.
>
> But I think here the request was that Debian would only make changes
> (“packaging changes”) if they were made by someone who has been
> subjected to a CLA.
I didn't interpret it this way. And even if that is what the question
was, I don't think it's a valid question in Debian's context :-)
There is no ownership of a package in Debian other than "X is currently
the maintainer, and we don't usually take packages away without cause".
But if "X" doesn't actually continue maintaining a package properly,
then NMUs (in most cases) and/or package hijacks (in more extreme
circumstances) are part of our procedures and "not maintaining" would be
plenty of cause for such an action.
The package as part of Debian will remain, and can be modified by anyone
in Debian, as per the license applied to it if it is in main. Without a
signed CLA, such changes just won't be applied to the *current*
maintainer's git repository, but that doesn't matter as far as Debian is
concerned; if the original maintainer loses interest, then the
CLA-requiring git repository becomes utterly irrelevant to Debian.
--
<Lo-lan-do> Home is where you have to wash the dishes.
-- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22
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