Bug#553311: python-ldraw
On Wednesday 22 February 2012, David Paleino wrote:
> 2012/2/22 David Boddie <david@boddie.org.uk>:
> >
> > If I remember correctly, the .dat files in the LDraw parts library are
> > basically text files, so they are the sources, but I could be mistaken.
> > Does this help to clarify the matter, or are we discussing other files
> > as well?
>
> I don't really remember the issue with the pieces library, but "being text
> files" doesn't automatically equal to "being the source code". I need the
> "preferred form of modification", and I need to be able to build it.
OK. Well, I didn't know what the context was when I was unexpectedly copied
into this discussion, and it's been quite a while since I've looked at
LDraw.
My understanding is that the .dat files are the preferred form of
modification even though the maintainers may use tools that save and load
files in other formats. I don't know anything about the library maintenance
process to be able to say if the .dat files are generated from something
else.
Checking now, it seems that the parts library described at
http://www.ldraw.org/Downloads-req-viewdownloaddetails-lid-98.html
is not redistributable because it contains non-redistributable parts.
Issues with the parts library include:
1. Licenses:
a. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. I don't know how this fits into any
of the Debian policies.
b. All rights reserved. It seems that you would have to ask the
copyright holders of those parts to choose a license, or just avoid
distributing those parts.
2. Binaries in the archive.
a. A Windows executable file.
b. Three ZIP files containing source code, with some files licensed
under the GPL v2 or later, and other files with no licenses.
3. No build system for the platform-independent tool required to create the
parts list.
It should be straightforward to find all the CC parts, simply by using grep
to find the ones with the appropriate !LICENSE statement.
Hope this helps,
David
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