Tux99 a écrit :
I was looking at Mandriva non-free SRPM directory since Mageia doesn't have
much in non-free yet.
I haven't actually counted if the majority has source or not, so you might
be right, but we are digressing here because like I said in the first post
the question here in this thread is about a package that has code with a
non-free license but is open source (and is 'tainted').
To quote my initial mail:
"... what the appropriate repository for a package is that's both non-free
(open source but not a FOSS license) and tainted (contains sw. that is
covered by patents in some parts of the world)."
To complicate matters further this package will have dependencies to some
other 'tainted' packages, which also a reason why 'tainted' seems more
appropiate for this specifica package at least.
What do you mean by "open source but not a FOSS license" ?
Normally "open source" means that it is licensed to be freely
redistributed (without royalties), with available source code.
Public domain software with available source code, although not having a
FOSS license, is also considered free.
As for the point about potential patent claims, in the U.S. (the usual
example), I don't know of any example of a mirror of an open source
distro that has had problems with software patent claims.
In the U.S., software patent claims are made against those who make
money from the software, and few such cases succeed. No money is to be
made by pursuing those who give away software for free.
Ubuntu, for example, has many mirrors in the U.S. carrying potentially
patent-threatened software, without problems.
I would suggest that if the software in question is _really_ open
source, put it in "core". If not, put it in "non-free".
If eventually it becomes _directly_ threatened by software patent
claims, _then_ consider transfering it to another repository.
(Besides the practical question of only responding to a potential threat
when really needed, if you don't consider software patents legitimate,
there is nothing inherently wrong with the software anyway. As long as
it works.
So why call it "tainted".)
my 2 cents :)
--
André
