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

[Joerg Sonnenberger <joerg%britannica.bec.de@localhost>]

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.

Joerg