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

[Roel van Meer]

Carsten Schoenert writes:

> > 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.

Then how can the original version of this file, which is packaged in  
php-mail, have a BSD-3-clause license in d/copyright? Perhaps the packager  
just cut a corner to get the package to build without errors? Or are there  
possibilities that we haven't seen?


>> src/backend/imap/Net/SMTP.php

The good news: For the Net-SMTP module there is a new version (which  
includes updates for PHP 7) that is licensed under PHP 3.01. So that could  
be updated upstream, easily.

>> src/backend/imap/Mail/sendmail.php

For the Mail module there already is an open bug [1] requesting a license  
change. It seems a license change was already done, but one file was omitted  
(by accident?).

>> src/backend/imap/Net/Socket.php

The Net-Socket module is currently unmaintained (last release 2013). There  
is an outstanding bug for a license change (opened in 2010): [2].

Cheers,

Roel

  [1] https://pear.php.net/bugs/bug.php?id=21082
  [2] https://pear.php.net/bugs/bug.php?id=17526