Bug#1122270: base-files: Adding more Creative Commons licenses

[Rafael Laboissière <rafael@debian.org>]

* Santiago Vila <sanvila@debian.org> [2025-12-10 10:42]:

> On Tue, Dec 09, 2025 at 05:30:44PM +0100, Rafael Laboissière wrote:
> > I am wondering how we can avoid “mistakes” like mine in the future. One
> > solution would be to file a bug report against base-files with an
> > informative title, such as “base-files: NEVER ASK TO INCLUDE NEW COPYRIGHT
> > FILES,” tag it “wontfix,” and keep it permanently open. In the body of the
> > bug report, explain that the correct package for such requests is
> > debian-policy. This is just an idea.
>
> I would not mind a *single* bug in debian-policy which affects base-files, 
> using a little bit more friendly subject, for example:
>
> debian-policy: PLEASE REPORT BUGS ABOUT COMMON-LICENSES TO DEBIAN-POLICY
>
> I leave the details to the policy group if they agree.
>
> (So, the advertisement is formally done by debian-policy, it would 
> show in the base-files bug page, and it would be a single bug).

I second this.

In the body of the bug report, one could include links to all bug reports 
requesting the inclusion of new licenses in /usr/share/common-licenses.

Another idea would be to create a new binary package, say 
common-licenses, derived from the source package debian-policy and 
containing the directory /usr/share/common-licenses and its contents. 
These contents would be removed from base-files. Of course, the new 
hypothetical package, common-licenses, would need to have "Priority: 
required" and "Essential: yes," as base-files does.

Best,

Rafael Laboissière