Re: Packages with non-distributable distfiles (was: CVS commit: pkgsrc/cad/simian-docs=

[Aleksej Saushev <asau%inbox.ru@localhost>]

David Brownlee <abs%netbsd.org@localhost> writes:

> On 20 May 2012 13:47, Joerg Sonnenberger <joerg%britannica.bec.de@localhost> 
> wrote:
>> On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 12:19:36PM +0200, Edgar Fuß wrote:
>>> > To bring this issue forward, I put the following suggestion up for
>>> > decision making:
>>> >
>>> >     Packages are to be removed from pkgsrc, when the distfiles are not
>>> >     distributable and cannot be obtained for a period of one full quarter
>>> >     branch. Packages with manual / interactive fetch must have a
>>> >     maintainer and it is his/her responsibility to ensure this.
>>> But if the problem is that the distfile is non-distributable, why don't you 
>>> simply record precisely that in the package's Makefile, e.g.
>>>       DISTFILE_NONDISTRIBUTABLE= YES
>>> or
>>>       DISTFILE_NONDISTRIBUTABLE_REASON= "Upstram author has gone mad"
>>> and make that abort the fetch phase if the distfile is not already present 
>>> locally and then skip these packages in the bulk builds?
>>
>> The issue is the combination of non-redistributable and missing from
>> upstream. Compare this with the situation with JDK/JRE. They are not
>> redistributable, but can be obtained manually with some ease. I also
>> don't have problems e.g. with packages where you have to first buy a
>> license like Tivoli, as long as there is a maintainer taking care of
>> updates etc.
>
> After that clarification I'd like to support Joerg's proposal. If
> anyone wants to continue to maintain a
> package with a non available, non legally distributable distfile, they
> can do so in pkgsrc-wip.

I object to introduction of more mess in pkgsrc-wip just because of purist 
attitude to pkgsrc.

We have many packages that do have distfile but don't build on some platforms.
This problem is definitly more important than having few packages of software
not as freely available to everyone as software from GNU project.


-- 
HE CE3OH...