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

[Ivo De Decker]

Control: tags -1 stretch-ignore

Hi,

On Sat, Aug 13, 2016 at 10:50:03AM +0100, Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo wrote:
> > 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.

Based on the fact that the license for the newer version of the file is OK,
and that we shipped the old version for a long time, I think it's better to
leave it the way it is for stretch, to avoid breaking things this late in the
freeze. Tagging accordingly. This issue should be fixed after the stretch
release.

Cheers,

Ivo