I've noticed there's quite a few almost-empty packages lurking in
the archive, whose sole purpose seems to be to download non-free
software and install it on a users' systems.
I don't like the fact that these seem to be (randomly) scattered
over main and contrib. Although the installer packages themselves
certainly are Free, I feel the social contract is being violated
when I have main and contrib in my sources.list file, but after
having completed the installation of a package from these sections,
non-free software is installed on my system.
Here's a quick list of suspected packages:
vtkdata-installer optional
acl-installer contrib/devel
acl-pro-installer contrib/devel
atokx contrib/utils
daemontools-installer contrib/misc
djbdns-installer contrib/net
f-prot-installer contrib/utils
flashplugin-nonfree optional
hyperspec optional
ibm-jdk1.1-installer contrib/devel
int-fiction-installer contrib/games
lw-per-installer contrib/devel
lw-pro-installer contrib/devel
msttcorefonts contrib/graphics
nvidia-kernel-src contrib/x11
nvidia-glx-src contrib/x11
qmailanalog-installer contrib/mail
quake2-data contrib/games
roxen-ssl contrib/web
roxen2-ssl contrib/web
sdic-edict contrib/text
sdic-gene95 contrib/text
setiathome contrib/misc
realplayer net
I've not verified all of these being such installer packages for
non-free software, nor do I claim it to be complete. Just to give
you a rough idea. Also, they're of different nature -- some install
the non-free software from their post-installation scripts, while
others install a script in /usr/sbin/ which will do the installation
of the non-free software when run.
I'd like to submit bugs on these, asking them to move to non-free.
So consider this email an invitation to discussion before a mass-bug
filing.
If the list agrees that bugs are warranted, which severity should I
use? In my opinion it's a violation of the social contract and thus
serious, but I've been recently told I should probably not use my
own opinion as a justification for using the RC levels, so mayhaps
wishlist would be better?
--
Tore Anderson
