Bug#834204: libsdl1.2: Nonfree file: src/video/fbcon/riva_mmio.h

[Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo]

Hi,

2016-08-13 3:44 GMT+01:00 Legimet <legimet.calc at gmail.com>:
> Source: libsdl1.2
> Version: 1.2.15+dfsg1-4
> Severity: serious
> Justification: Policy 2.1
>
> Dear Maintainer,
>
> The file src/video/fbcon/riva_mmio.h has a nonfree license that does not
> explicitly allow modification.

Thanks for the report.

I am copying FTP-masters to know their opinion.

This file has been present in Debian for the best part of 2 decades,
so possibly the people who reviewed and approved this initially are
not around anymore or, if they are, that they don't recall the details
if they were discussed.

>From my understanding, despite the brevity of the wording but given
the context, with "using this code in individual and commercial
software" is implicit the possibility of modification, as in "use in
any way you wish" -- modifications might be needed due to changes in
compiler/toolchain or to integrate in the bigger "commercial" software
(e.g. changing names to avoid clashes).

These licenses are usually to prevent that the source code is
leaked/accessible to the outside world, or used in commercial software
without being paid.  Since this license prevents neither, I don't
think that prevent modification is of any use to the copyright
holders...

.... but it's true that it doesn't explicitly allow modification or
says anything beyond "use".


> The file is from xf86-video-nv, and has
> subsequently been relicensed under the MIT/Expat license:
> https://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/driver/xf86-video-nv/tree/src/riva_hw.h
>
> It should be possible to use the newer version of the file.

The code is not identical, for example the "NV_" macros in the
beginning of the old file are not present in the second.

The "struct _riva_hw_inst" is different in both versions as well (e.g.
fields Architecture and Version present in the first file, but not in
the second), so not API nor ABI compatible.

So it needs to be handled with some care in any case.


(BTW, it would be nice to discuss this with upstream if it needs to be
removed/updated, unfortunately I don't have much time in the next few
weeks, so if somebody beats me to it I will not complain :) .  They
should also have access to some nice legal department, being developed
by Steam now).


Cheers.
-- 
Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo <manuel.montezelo at gmail.com>