I would like to narrow the discussion to my specific problem, as I have to make a decision to solve it.
The dokuwiki upstream tarball contains a Flash applet, in both source and binary form. Only a proprietary tool can generate the binary from the source. This applet is only a minor component, that can be stripped without impacting the overall functionnality of the software. Rather than keeping that file, moving dokuwiki to contrib, I would rather strip it, document that, and explain how to install it manually if needed. My question is: should I strip it from the original tarball, repacking it, or only from the binary package? Technically, I prefer the latter solution. I think that this solution, stripping it only from the binary package, is acceptable according to the Debian Policy. Here are the arguments I identified agains that: 1. Policy §2.2.1 requires every package in main to compy with the DFSG, and DFSG §3 requires to allow the recipient to modify and rebuild. 2. Policy §2.2.1 forbids any package in main to require a package outside of main for compilation or execution. Let me detail these arguments, and why I think they do not apply. 1. DFSG §3 is written as follows: > The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow > them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the > original software. Well, first, this point does not require a free toolchain, as it does not include a proposition such as: “by using only software that follow these Guidelines”. Plus, it only speaks of the license, not about facts outside of the licence that could forbid the compilation or the execution, like: the user does not have a computer, does not have the compiler, has an incompatible processor, etc. And here, the licence of that Flash applet does allow modifications. 2. Policy §2.2.1 is about packages. A source package containing some non-compilable-with-software-in-main code, but which rules do not make use of that code, neither by compiling it, nor by copying it to the binary package (that is, rules that /strip/ that code) needs, no package outside of main for compilation or execution. As I said, I am not very experienced with the DFSG and the Policy, so I may be wrong, and I may miss some arguments. I told that I would not risk myself to try and interpret these fundamental texts: in fact, I did so, and I think it may be a good exercice. I just have a problem to solve, and I wish to avoid an original tarball repacking if I can. -- Tanguy Ortolo
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