[pkg-x2go-devel] Bug#784565: Bug#784565: nx-libs-lite: parts are derived from non-free code

[Mike Gabriel]

Hi Francesco,

On  Mi 06 Mai 2015 19:35:32 CEST, Francesco Poli (wintermute) wrote:

> Package: nx-libs-lite
> Version: 3.5.0.27-1
> Severity: serious
> Justification: Policy 2.2.1
>
> Hello and thanks for maintaining this package in Debian!
>
> I noticed that the debian/copyright states:
>
> [...]
> | Parts of this software are derived from DXPC project. These copyright
> | notices apply to original DXPC code:
> |
> |    Redistribution and use in source and binary forms are permitted provided
> |    that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are duplicated in all
> |    such forms.
> |
> |    THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
> |    WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
> |    MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
> |
> |    Copyright (c) 1995,1996 Brian Pane
> |    Copyright (c) 1996,1997 Zachary Vonler and Brian Pane
> |    Copyright (c) 1999 Kevin Vigor and Brian Pane
> |    Copyright (c) 2000,2001 Gian Filippo Pinzari and Brian Pane
> [...]
>
> This license lacks the permission to modify the DXPC code.
> Hence, the original DXPC code does not appear to comply with the
> DFSG. And the nx-libs-lite is in part derived from DXPC code.
>
> This basically means that nx-libs-lite includes parts which are
> non-free (as they are derived from non-modifiable code) and
> are also possibly legally undistributable (as they are non-modifiable,
> but actually modified). The combination with the rest of nx-libs-lite
> (which is GPL-licensed) may also be legally undistributable (since
> the license with no permission to modify is GPL-incompatible).
>
>
> If there's anything I misunderstood, please clarify.
>
> Otherwise, please address this issue as soon as possible.
> The copyright owners for the original DXPC code should be
> contacted and persuaded to re-license under GPL-compatible
> terms.
>
> Thanks for your time.
> Bye.

Please follow-up with reading [1].

As it seems, dxpc has been long ago relicensed to BSD-2-clause (for  
v3.8.1 in/around 2002).

I have no exact clue, if NoMachine forked prior to that (if they quote  
the old licensing terms, then probably they did).

However, how do you see the situation considering that upstream  
changed to BSD-2-clause a long time ago. What approach do you propose  
for nx-libs-lite to get the issue fully fixed?

Mike

[1] https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=142028

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