Comments regarding nvidia-cuda-toolkit_10.1.105-1_amd64.changes

[Andreas Beckmann]

On 2019-05-07 21:01, Chris Lamb wrote:
> Hi Maintainer,
> 
> Please see the suggested notes that I am forwarding from an ftptrainee; please
> add them in your CC.
> 
>    -- Chris Lamb <lamby at debian.org>  Tue, 07 May 2019 19:00:30 +0000
> 
> §
> 
> REJECT
> 
> This is clearly a non-free license, but certain points in the license text are
> particularly concerning. For starters, the Nvidia SDK stipulates the age of the
> person that's permitted to download/install/use the software. [1]
> 
> The CUDA Toolkit Supplement (#2) lists a limited number of files that may be
> distributed. This source package does not exist in that list. [2]. Any other
> distribution is prohibited. I believe just uploading this source package was
> a violation of these terms.
> 
> I also noticed that certain components, licensed under GPL, require contacting
> Nvidia via email and they expire their offer to obtain that source after three
> years.
> 
> If I'm correct on these concerns, then this seems like a package that is not
> suitable for even non-free and should be removed.
> 
> 
> [1]
> """
>  Important Notice--Read before downloading, installing,
>  copying or using the licensed software:
>  -------------------------------------------------------
>  .
>  This license agreement, including exhibits attached
>  ("Agreement") is a legal agreement between you and NVIDIA
>  Corporation ("NVIDIA") and governs your use of a NVIDIA
>  software development kit ("SDK").
>  .
>  [...]
>  This Agreement can be accepted only by an adult of legal age
>  of majority in the country in which the SDK is used.
> """
> 
> [2]
> """
>  1.1.2. Distribution Requirements
>  .
>  These are the distribution requirements for you to exercise
>  the distribution grant:
>  [...]
>  .
>    1. Your application must have material additional
>      functionality, beyond the included portions of the SDK.
>  [...]
>  .
>    4. Unless a developer tool is identified in this Agreement
>      as distributable, it is delivered for your internal use
>      only.
> """

and it continues later with

"""
 2.3. Operating Systems
 .
 Those portions of the SDK designed exclusively for use on the
 Linux or FreeBSD operating systems, or other operating systems
 derived from the source code to these operating systems, may
 be copied and redistributed for use in accordance with this
 Agreement, provided that the object code files are not
 modified in any way (except for unzipping of compressed
 files).
"""

I interpret this as "we can redistribute the whole toolkit".

There is also a large collection of code samples together with media and
data files, previously distributed as a separate archive, now included
with the upstream toolkit distribution. This is *not* part of our
repacked source tarball, since at least the media and data files do not
seem to be redistributable at all.

> REJECT
> 
> Apparently the previous absurdities are acceptable in non-free. However, distribution
> requirements are not met because the administrator installing the package must accept
> the license terms before receiving the software.
> 
> The way package installation works prevents this, but there should at least be a
> confirmation required via debconf to confirm that the person installing is legally
> able to accept the license terms they are agreeing to prior to installation of
> these files.

If you consider it neccessary, we can add a debconf license screen.


Andreas