[Pkg-giraffe-discuss] z-push packaging question - licenses / lintian

[Carsten Schoenert]

Hello Roel,

On 27.12.2016 17:00, Roel van Meer wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> so, based on Carstens work I've started the z-push packaging. I've updated  
> the repo to 2.3.4, renamed the source package to z-push, and we're also in  
> Travis CI now: https://travis-ci.org/roelvanmeer/z-push-packaging

thanks for stepping in!

> The build shows some lintian errors and warnings, most of which I'll be able  
> to fix, but for one of them I have a question.
> 
> Lintian complains about an error in the source package:
> 
>   E: z-push source: license-problem-bad-php-license debian/copyright
> 
> The problem is that a number of PHP files (derived from Pear files) are  
> listed in the copyright file as having the PHP-2.02 license, and according  
> to Lintian this license is only valid for the PHP interpreter itself, not  
> for code written in PHP, nor for Pear modules. The specification of this  
> license is correct, however, as this license is indeed named in the PHP  
> files themselves.

That's problematic.

> Now, when I look at official Debian packages that provide the original  
> version of these files, then the files themselves also mention the PHP-2.02  
> license, but the d/copyright file lists them under a different license  
> (BSD-3-clause, or PHP 3.01).
> 
> So, what is the better way to do this? Use the license according to the file  
> and add a lintian override (if this error is overridable, that is) or use a  
> different license, thereby satisfying lintian, but having a copyright file  
> that's not entirely correct?

Without the acknowledge of the authors you can't do a relicensing. And
errors that Lintian is complaining you can't override (for a good reason).
So you/we need to get rid of this license or you can't ship the
depending binary package. I only see two options, try to contact the
authors of the respective files and ask for a other license. Or ask
upstream to drop those files and create new files from scratch with
APGL3 license for example.
Or, a third option, you write files new files from scratch with a valid
license.

> ---%<---
>  42 Files: src/backend/imap/Mail/sendmail.php
>  43 Copyright: 1997-2003, The PHP Group
>  44 License: PHP-2.02
>  45 
>  46 Files: src/backend/imap/Net/*
>  47 Copyright: 1997-2003, The PHP Group
>  48 License: PHP-2.02
>  49 
>  50 Files: src/backend/imap/Net/Socket.php
>  51 Copyright: 1997-2013, The PHP Group
>  52 License: PHP-2.02
> --->%---

These are in all three files.


-- 
Regards
Carsten Schoenert