On Tue, 2009-02-03 at 14:10 +0000, Chris Walker wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 03, 2009 at 02:37:31PM +0100, Robert Millan wrote:
> > On Tue, Feb 03, 2009 at 11:42:07AM +0000, Chris Walker wrote:
> > > Robert Millan <rmh@aybabtu.com> writes:
> > >
> > > > Package: wnpp
> > > > Severity: wishlist
> > > > Owner: Robert Millan <rmh@aybabtu.com>
> > > >
> > > > * Package name : freecad
> > >
> > >
> > > I've added this package to the the engineering metapackage in
> > > debian-science. It should appear at
> > > http://cdd.alioth.debian.org/science/tasks/engineering.html when the
> > > cron job next runs.
> > >
> > > As you have prepared a preliminary package, I've treated this as an
> > > ITP and put you down as responsible for the package. I can easily
> > > remove you if you wish.
> > >
> > > For those reading on Debian-science, more details of the package below.
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > There are long-standing license issues, which are being worked on by Adam
> > Powell and others at the moment.
>
> Oh right - good luck.
The issue here is that FreeCAD links to Coin3D which is GPL, and to Open
CASCADE which is OCTPL [1] and is not GPL-compatible. The Coin3D
developers refuse to make a GPL exception for Open CASCADE [2]. And I
have never been able to reach anyone at Open CASCADE for any purpose
(was the maintainer of the Debian package), except indirectly via the
Forum.
[1] http://www.opencascade.org/occ/license/
[2] https://jira.sim.no/browse/COINSUPPORT-425
So unless they separate the Coin3D and Open CASCADE linkages into
independent binaries, FreeCAD will unfortunately not be distributable
for the foreseeable future. :-(
Robert, I owe you an answer on why the OCTPL is GPL-incompatible.
IANAL, TINLA, TINASOTODP, etc. but here goes:
* 4. para 4: "If you distribute or sublicense the Software (as
modified by You or on Your behalf as the case may be), You cause
such Software to be licensed as a whole, at no charge, to all
third parties..." The GPL does not require "at no charge", and
even expressly allows charging for software, so this is an
additional restriction beyond the GPL.
* 4. para 5: "You document all Your Modifications, indicate the
date of each such Modifications, designate the version of the
Software You used..." None of this is required by the GPL, so
all of these are additional restrictions.
The additional restrictions in this license make a derivative work (e.g.
a GPL binary linked to this library, or the LGPL FreeCAD binary linked
to the GPL Coin3D library and OCC) a violation of the GPL. The
copyright holder of the GPL code can sue for copyright infringement,
which usually just means "stop distributing the infringing product".
> > Also, the package is maintained outside of
> > the debian archives by Teemu Ikonen. My preliminar work only served to
> > incorporate some improvements in Teemu's tree. Please leave this as RFP.
>
> OK.
>
> Should I list Teemu Ikonen instead of/as well as you as the person
> responsible?
Why not just list Debian Science Maintainers
<debian-science-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org> as maintainer?
-Adam
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Engineering consulting with open source tools
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