I am thinking about applying to become a maintainer, and was looking through the orphaned packages. mpsql caught my eye, as my day job is usually 9-to-5 SQL, and my boss has asked me to look into pgsql for our company.
So potentially I could have some time to work on this. Anyway, I saw that it is in the non-free distribution. I just wondered why that was. I searched the debian-legal archives all the way back, not a peep about mpsql. And the license seems innocuous enough to my (admittedly untrained) eye: --- excerpted from README ---- MPSQL - An Interactive Query Tool for PostgresSQL This directory contains version 2.1 of MPSQL. The author can be reached via Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://www.mutinybaysoftware.com MPSQL is not public domain software. It is copyrighted by Mutiny Bay Software but may be used according to the licensing terms of the the copyright at the end of this document. --- 8>< ---- Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose, without fee, and without a written agreement is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph and the following two paragraphs appear in all copies. IN NO EVENT SHALL MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED HEREUNDER IS ON AN "AS IS" BASIS, AND MUTINY BAY SOFTWARE HAS NO OBLIGATIONS TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE, SUPPORT, UPDATES, ENHANCEMENTS, OR MODIFICATIONS. --- end excerpt ----- The orphan announcement says upstream is no longer maintaining this package, but I have cc'd the listed address. I'd rather work on free software, but since this could have work applicability, I thought it would be worth checking into. Does anyone see a reason this is non-free? -- *------v--------- Installing Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 --------v------* | <http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/installmanual> | | debian-imac (potato): <http://debian-imac.sourceforge.net> | | Chris Tillman [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | May the Source be with you | *----------------------------------------------------------------*