On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 08:19:00 -0300 Goedson Teixeira Paixao wrote:
[...]
> Gabber's license has an exception allowing linking to OpenSSL. See the
> COPYING.exception file in its sources.
I think this exception should be copied into the debian/copyright,
because otherwise the latter file does not consitute "a verbatim
copy of [the package] copyright and distribution license" (as mandated
by Debian Policy, version 3.7.2.2, section 4.5).
Moreover: it seems that one of the libraries the package depends
on is available under the terms of the GNU GPL v2, without any
additional linking permission: namely libgnomemm[1][2].
If the (or one) program included in the gabber package links
with both OpenSSL and a pure-GPLv2 library, a problem arises.
In a nutshell[3]: the program, with all its modules, must be available
under the GNU GPL v2, in order to link against libgnomemm; but
that is not possible, as one of the modules is OpenSSL, which
is licensed in a GPL-incompatible manner and thus is *not* available
under the GNU GPL v2.
I'm Cc:ing debian-legal, in order to check that my analysis is
correct. For more context, please see the buglog[4].
I think the bug should be reopened.
[1] http://packages.debian.org/unstable/libs/libgnomemm1.2-9c2
[2] http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/g/gnomemm/gnomemm_1.2.4-3.1/libgnomemm1.2-9c2.copyright
[3] assuming, to be on the safe side, that the FSF's linking legal
theory is correct...
[4] http://bugs.debian.org/395961
--
But it is also tradition that times *must* and always
do change, my friend. -- from _Coming to America_
..................................................... Francesco Poli .
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