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

[Manuel Faux]

On Sat, 16 Nov 2013 00:25:17 +0100
Kevin Kofler <kevin.kofler at chello.at> wrote:

> Manuel Faux wrote:
> > 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.
> 
> Can't you package the offending JAR in RPM Fusion Nonfree? Then it
> can install to system directories such as /usr/lib/jvm without
> causing trouble.
> 
> Of course, the ideal solution would be to have a Free replacement or
> to get the original relicensed, but failing that, that's what RPM
> Fusion Nonfree is for.
> 
>         Kevin Kofler
> 

Currently Dalibor Topic from Oracle is helping us to maybe change the
license of that file (see conversation on legal list), since it might
be the case that the file was tagged with a too restrictive license,
anyway.

In meanwhile I added a README.Fedora and explained that the non-free
file is expected in ~/.netbeans/, in case the user wants to make use of
that functionality.

Manuel