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

[Manuel Faux]

On Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:56:47 +0100
"puntogil at libero.it" <puntogil at libero.it> wrote:

> Il 12/11/2013 08:37, Manuel Faux ha scritto:
> > 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
> -1
I little bit more feedback would be welcome.

You don't agree to give the option to manually download the file at all,
or don't you agree with NOT packing the file to /usr/lib/jvm/...?

By not giving the option to manually link to the file we will loose the
functionality to create Java Web Start war files at all. Also other
packages require the user to get some non-free files for some specific
non-crucial functionality.

Just pretend to "downvote" something without any comment does not help
anyone at all.
> >>> 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
>