Bug#702734: [nvidia-detect] please move nvidia-detect out of non-free

[Andreas Beckmann]

On 2013-03-10 21:53, Filipus Klutiero wrote:
> nvidia-detect is currently part on non-free, like the rest of
> nvidia-graphics-drivers. nvidia-graphics-drivers in general is currently
> non-free, but nvidia-detect in particular has no non-free content.

for building convenience, see below

> The
> script has no common license, but I'm offering my contribution under
> anything wanted.

Historically the packaging is under GPL2(+), although that may not be
the optimal choice for a package in non-free, especially wrt. patches.
Something like BSD/MIT/EXPAT... may be more appropriate. But for your
script, anything will be fine.

If you send me a Copyright/License header today, I can still include it
for 304.84 which I'll try to get into wheezy.

> nvidia-detect technically doesn't depend on anything non-free, however
> it is clearly strongly associated with the non-free rest of
> nvidia-graphics-drivers, therefore contrib would be a understandable
> section.

The main "data" files for nvidia-detect are the PCI ID lists (that are
automatically generated from upstream's README), so to conveniently
update nvidia-detect to the latest definitions, I added this package to
be built from n-g-d. (The lists for the older drivers are copies in
n-g-d, but they usually don't change frequently, so need no updates).

I don't think the PCI ID lists would make the package non-free.
Putting it into contrib would be fine, it just needs an extra sync step
for every new upstream release I wanted to avoid.

> I would argue main may be the best choice, given that the script could
> evolve into something a bit greater than a versions advisor. It could
> certainly recommend using nouveau to vesa users, for example.

Someone needs to do this ...

> By the way, I recommend to consider making nvidia-detect a source
> package. This would ease updates after nvidia-graphics-drivers is
> frozen. It would be best not to leave nvidia-detect untouched in stable
> for the duration of a whole release cycle.

Hmm, currently it outputs

  Uh oh. Your card is not supported by any driver version up to 304.64.
  A newer driver may add support for your card.

for unsupported hardware, and that seems fine for a stable release. We
will probably have a "more accurate" one in wheezy-backports.


Anyway, patches welcome!


Andreas