Subject: Re: [RFC] Where to put license files?
To: Greg Troxel <gdt@ir.bbn.com>
From: Johnny C. Lam <jlam@NetBSD.org>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 09/29/2005 10:17:30
Greg Troxel wrote:
> "Johnny C. Lam" <jlam@NetBSD.org> writes:
>
>>I would suggest two refinements:
>>
>>(1) Have LICENSE_FILE default to ${PKGDIR}/${LICENSE} so that we have
>> the same naming convention for single-package licenses as what
>> currently exists in pkgsrc/licenses.
>
>
> So packages with license files stored in pkgsrc/licenses would need to
> set LICENSE_FILE?
>
> I would like to see local license files have names that would be
> appropriate if in pkgsrc/licenses, so
> pkgsrc/security/fprot-workstation-bin/fprot-workstation-license. I
> think this is what jlam means, but I'm not 100% sure.
Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind.
>>(2) In much the same way that there is mk/defaults/options.descriptions
>> file, I think we'll need a similar file that lists the various
>> licences that are used by packages in pkgsrc that may be easily
>> consulted by the user, and probably by any ACCEPTABLE_LICENSES logic
>> in bsd.pkg.mk.
>
> I object to pkgsrc providing summaries of licenses. The license files
> exist in the first place because of non-free programs, and it is
> dangerous business to abstract what purports to be a legal document
> for someone - a bit too much like legal advice. Also, different
> people have different concerns - some might use a program commercially
> (for which there is no widely accepted single definition) and thus not
> want to accept licenses that prohibit commercial use. Others might
> object to indemnification, reciprocal patent grants, or assertions
> that one is authorized to sign for the company in the case of use in a
> workplace.
Nobody said anything about license summaries here -- don't put words
into my mouth. I want a file that lists all of the available license
options so that we don't have to trawl pkgsrc for it, perhaps of the format:
licenese-name cat/pkg1 cat/pkg2 cat/pkg3
Where cat/pkgN are the package directories of packages that use
license-name. These are script-parseable for the benefit of pkgsrc
infrastructure.
Cheers,
-- Johnny Lam <jlam@NetBSD.org>