Proposed F19 Feature: Apache OpenOffice

[Andrea Pescetti]

Luya Tshimbalanga wrote:
> My issue with Apache OpenOffice can be seen on LWN:
> https://lwn.net/Articles/532665/ [...]
> The Apache Software Foundation releases code under the Apache license;
> they are, indeed, rather firm on that point. The Symphony repository,
> though [...]

It's an outdated article and not much relevant to the current discussion 
(you see, it says "the Symphony repository"...). But I'm very happy to 
address the parts that can be relevant to this discussion, leaving 
politics aside. See below.

> Licensing is the problem. I think it is too early to add Apache
> OpenOffice as feature in Fedora repository due to this ambiguity and
> legal matter.

The Apache Foundation is absolutely paranoid on license clarity in the 
software it releases. The trunk of Apache OpenOffice is subject to 
periodic, full, automated, scans that ensure that all files are properly 
licensed. Apache calls them "RAT Scans", see
http://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/Building_Guide_AOO/Rat_Scan

It is part of the Apache OpenOffice mission to make sure that everybody, 
including of course other software projects, can confidently use the 
code it releases. The license check is one of the mandatory steps in 
approving a release. So I'm positive that Apache OpenOffice receives at 
least the same level of scrutiny on licenses as any other software 
included in Fedora.

It is important to understand (and this is a common misunderstanding, so 
thank you for raising it) that this applies to the OpenOffice trunk and 
to releases. The OpenOffice SVN repository contains a lot of other 
stuff, including two (yes, two) websites, development branches, and 
materials the project inherited, like the Symphony code. They are hosted 
for convenience, but they are not subject to scans and may not have 
up-to-date licensing information. Whatever is packaged for Fedora won't, 
of course, be taken from the "convenience" directories.

The Symphony code is like everything else in this respect: all Symphony 
code that OpenOffice will choose to use will sooner or later go to trunk 
and into a release, receiving the same paranoid attention as the rest 
and a crystal clear license notice (the Apache 2 License in this case) 
allowing anybody to use it.

Regards,
   Andrea.