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Re: Question about packaging a library.



On Sunday 22 May 2005 1:43 pm, punx120 wrote:
> Thanks for you reply.
>
> The library, I'd like to package is FMOD (fmod.org), and it's a
> "proprietary" library, it's free to use in a non-commercial software.

Doesn't that make your program non-free in Debian?
Free Redistribution 
The license of a Debian component may not restrict any party from selling or 
giving away the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution 
containing programs from several different sources. The license may not 
require a royalty or other fee for such sale. 

Packages must be placed in non-free or non-US/non-free if they are not 
compliant with the DFSG or are encumbered by patents or other legal issues 
that make their distribution problematic. 

So if this was in Debian and Debian is offered for commercial sale (which it 
is), your library could not be used. If your program depends on this library, 
your program becomes non-free.

> And i don't think the developers will give me their code to package it.

So what licence are you using for your program?

> So maybe, I could do all the necessary things manually,is it a good idea
> according to you ?

Personally, I don't like anything in non-free and I certainly refuse to depend 
on such packages. I'd rather re-write the library from scratch. Hey ho. 

(I'd be quite happy for non-free to be completely dropped from Debian but it's 
there as an option so I can easily ignore it.)

> Ps: What does ITP means ?
http://www.uk.debian.org/doc/developers-reference/ch-pkgs.en.html#s-newpackage

Intend To Package. It's the title used in bug reports to WNPP that declare to 
other developers what you intend to do. You need to check that no-one else is 
already attempting the task before reporting an ITP which allows others to 
find out what is being planned for inclusion.
Mine:
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=305563

http://www.debian.org/doc/maint-guide/ch-first.en.html
If the package is new, and you decide you'd like to see it in Debian, proceed 
as follows: 
check if no one else is working on the package already at the list of packages 
being worked on. 
http://www.de.debian.org/devel/wnpp/being_packaged

-- 

Neil Williams
=============
http://www.data-freedom.org/
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/
http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/

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