[pkg-ntp-maintainers] Bug#448408: ntp: License problem: Linked to both openssl and libreadline.

[Kurt Roeckx]

Package: ntp
Severity: serious

Hi,

It seems that binaries like ntpq and ntpdc are linked to both openssl
and libreadline.  openssl is licensed under a BSD-like with advertisment
clause license and libreadline is licensed under the GPL.  And those
2 conflict.  There doesn't seem to be an exception for libreadline to
link against openssl, and it's unlikely since it's GNU software.

There are atleast 2 relevant bugs about this upstream:
http://bugs.ntp.org/931
http://bugs.ntp.org/952

And a document:
http://support.ntp.org/Dev/LineEditingLibraries

Upstream atleast seem to want to add support for libedit, which is
under the 3 clause BSD license, and editline which is readline
replacement that is under a license simular to a BSD license.


Kurt