Bug#594542: debian-policy: add descriptions for main, contrib, and non-free archive areas
Package: debian-policy
Version: 3.8.0.1
Severity: wishlist
Especially since the main, contrib, and non-free archive areas are not
described anywhere else (as far as I can tell), it would be helpful
if some descriptive text were added to explain the intent of policy.
I suggest the following in the hopes that others will flesh out the
descriptions to be more accurate and complete than my first cut:
2.2.1 The main archive area
The main archive area is where the core of the Debian GNU/Linux system
lives. All of the software in main can stand alone as a fully operational
system without any software from contrib or non-free. The software
included in main is vetted to ensure compliance with policy and the DFSG.
In addition it does not depend on any software outside main, it is
believed to be wholly unencumbered by patents, and is believed to have no
legal encumbrances that could affect users or our ftp archive operators.
2.2.2 The contrib archive area
The contrib archive area is where fully policy compliant and DFSG free
software is put that depends on or recommends non-free software or
software that is otherwise unavailable within Debian. Contrib software
is believed to be wholly unencumbered by patents and to have no legal
encumbrances that could affect users or our ftp archives. However,
contrib software usually requires using either non-free software or
software that is otherwise not available or not policy compliant.
2.2.3 The non-free archive area
The non-free archive area is where software that is freely
redistributable, but not fully policy compliant (which can be as simple
as failing the software build requirements) or not DFSG free, or is
encumbered by patents or is affected by other legal issues that could
affect our users or our ftp infrastructure.
Obviously, I intend these paragraphs to be added as descriptions and all
of the normative parts of those sections to be preserved (I didn't copy
them here to save bits and bandwidth).
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 5.0.5
APT prefers stable
APT policy: (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.26-2-amd64 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_US, LC_CTYPE=en_US (charmap=ISO-8859-1)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
debian-policy depends on no packages.
debian-policy recommends no packages.
Versions of packages debian-policy suggests:
ii doc-base 0.8.20 utilities to manage online documen
-- no debconf information
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