How to handle non-free parts of a free software project

[Manuel Faux]

On Tue, 12 Nov 2013 08:11:12 +0100
Manuel Faux <manuel.faux at conf.at> wrote:

> On Mon, 11 Nov 2013 15:08:10 -0800
> Toshio Kuratomi <a.badger at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 12:22:16AM +0200, Elad Alfassa wrote:
> > > 
> > > On Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 12:13 AM, Manuel Faux
> > > <manuel.faux at conf.at> wrote:
> > > 
> > >     NetBeans 7.4 requires a file called jnlp-servlet.jar which is
> > > part of the Oracle JDK and itself non-free licensed. The file is
> > > not required for building, but for specific functions of the
> > > software. 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >     More concrete, the file is required if "one wants to build a
> > > packaged war file of JNLP version of a suite".
> > > 
> > >     It seems like only the class
> > > jnlp.sample.servlet.JnlpDownloadServlet is required, but I could
> > > not find it in the OpenJKD.
> > > 
> > >     How is this normally handled? Should we add a file to the docs
> > > which describes that for this specific functionality that file is
> > > required? 
> > >     Manuel
> > >     --
> > >     devel mailing list
> > >     devel at lists.fedoraproject.org
> > >     https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/devel
> > >     Fedora Code of Conduct:
> > > http://fedoraproject.org/code-of-conduct
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > The answer is simple. Remove the file. Don't distribute it in
> > > Fedora. Have a README.fedora file in /usr/share/docs/netbeans (or
> > > whatever) which explains that this file was removed due to
> > > licensing issues and how to get it.
I want to give the option to manually download the file, if one accepts
the non-free license of Oracle. Which file system path would be
appropriate to be prepared for that file? I would not feel comfortable
to add the file to add the file inside /usr/lib/jvm/... or something.

Manuel
> > > 
> > Depending on the license, you may just need to remove the file in
> > the spec file or you may need to clean it from the tarball before
> > that tarball is uploaded to the lookaside cache (via fedpkg
> > new-sources).
> > 
> > You may also need to patch the software so that it gracefully
> > handles the lack of that file at runtime.  Perhaps removing the
> > menu entry that won't function or popping up a dialog to explain
> > that the netbeans we ship can't use that non-free functionality.
> > 
> > -Toshio
> 
> Thanks for your input.
> 
> I already asked in the legal mailing list, and it was suggested that I
> might ask at Oracle if they change the license in a way that it
> complies to free software. But even if they would do it, it would take
> some time, and I don't want to wait for that. So in between I will go
> on by just don't shipping that file.
> 
> Manuel