The problem is that the license doesn't allow for modification of the BIOS,
and that the license says something about "may only be used/distributed for
use with plex86/bochs and be used only in the manner intended" (that's a
summary not verbatim) which debian can't enforce, and thus can't distribute.
The Debian guys have very strict policies about what licenses are
compatible, and the VGA BIOS didn't fit. So there were questions about
splitting the BIOS out, or putting the whole thing under non-free, and,
well, it didn't look like any good solution could be found. Someone was
going to write the the BIOS authors to see about getting the license changed
as I recall.
Hopefully it'll all get worked out eventually.
I'm not one of the Debian Developers, and I'm only reciting this stuff from
memory, so if you want more info go look at the archives.
.Geoff
-----Original Message-----
From: Drew Northup [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2000 11:10 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [plex86] Debian package
We'd be happy to see a sources-only package on any distro, but:
1) we aren't quite ready yet
2) it MUST be a sources package--not binaries please!!!
As for the licensing issue, I believe that a sources set can be included in
your distro so long as it is just the sources (& the included VGA BIOS). So
tell them that.
Drew Northup, N1XIM
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf
> Of Hausheer, Geoffrey
> Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2000 11:07 AM
> To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
> Subject: RE: [plex86] Debian package
>
>
> While it'd be great to have a debian package, you should look at
> the Debian
> Developer mailing list archives for the last month or so. There is a big
> question as to whether plex86 can be packaged at all because of the
> licensing of the VGA BIOS. Plus plex86 really isn't ready for binary
> packages yet, though it is getting close (that is to say it won't be a
> trivial package to make, and you'll need to rebuild it constantly
> to keep it
> current with CVS). Anyhow someone HAS ITP'd plex86, so you might as well
> head over to debian-devel and see what's going on.
> .Geoff
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dale Thatcher [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2000 9:17 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [plex86] Debian package
>
>
> Hi,
>
> Has anyone looked at building a Debian package? If not I'd be
> happy to give
> it
> a go.
>
> thanks,
>
> - Dale
>
>
>
