On Sun, 20 Dec 2015 00:05:38 +0100, Andrew Shadura wrote: > On 19 December 2015 at 22:25, Lucas Castro <lucascastrobor...@gmail.com> > wrote: >> * Package name : ms-sys >> Version : 0.0.28 >> Upstream Author : Henrik Carlqvist >> <he...@users.sourceforge.net> >> * URL : http://ms-sys.sourceforge.net/ >> * License : GPL-2+ >> Programming Lang: C >> Description : Program for writing Microsoft >> compatible boot records >> >> The program does the same as Microsoft "fdisk /mbr" to a hard disk >> or "sys d:" to a floppy or FAT partition except that it does not copy >> any system files, only the boot record is written. >> >> It's usual in day-to-day of sysadmin the OS installation, >> and with this package become easier to write boot record for MS OSes on >> flashs and so create MS OS bootable flash. >> I'll maintain this package by myself. > > I'm quite certain this software can't enter Debian main, and I'm unsure > about non-free, as in includes dumps of boot records apparently > copyrighted by Microsoft, and even if there wasn't this they don't come > with the complete source code.
That reminds me... I wonder if anyone has looked into the legal status of boot_array from ntfs-3g? https://sources.debian.net/src/ntfs-3g/1:2015.3.14AR.1-1/ntfsprogs/boot.c/ The comment implies that it's a copy of the "$Boot" file that comprises the first 8192 bytes of an NTFS filesystem. It contains the code that loads and executes BOOTMGR as part of the Windows startup process. The Git history of the file tellingly has an entry "mkntfs: Use Vista $Boot rather than XP one". http://sourceforge.net/p/ntfs-3g/ntfs-3g/ci/5efc87cce89e46b73af5467da21a527fcc0f5043/log/?path=/ntfsprogs/boot.c If boot_array isn't an independent implementation (doubtful IMO due to the comments & the lack of real source code) then it too contains proprietary code taken from Windows. -- Sam Morris https://robots.org.uk/ PGP: rsa4096/5CDA27B9 CAAA AA1A CA69 A83A 892B 1855 D20B 4202 5CDA 27B9
