How is this related to Debian security? Josh
> -----Original Message----- > From: Jochen Rohrig [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2001 10:42 AM > To: debian-security@lists.debian.org > Cc: debian-s390@lists.debian.org > Subject: Questions concerning S/390 OCO-modules > > > Hi, > > I would like to package three network device drivers for IBM S/390 (see > ITPs #108709, #108710, #108711). > > The device drivers are provided by IBM as OCO (object code only) modules > (i.e. there are no sources available) and they are released under a > special IBM "International License Agreement for Non-Warranted Programs" > (to see the license agreement click on one of the > "{lcs,qdio,qeth}-2.4.5-s390-2.tar.gz" hyperlinks on > http://oss.software.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/linux390/dow > nload_obj.html+). > > This raises a few questions: > > - Does the license allow distribution of the oco-drivers with Debian? > > From item 1. of the license agreement I derive that this is possible > as long as > > a) Debian assures that the license agreement is distributed with the > oco-driver and > > b) that the user explicitely agrees with the terms of the license > (actually the user can not download the oco-drivers from the > IBM web site without explicitely accepting the agreement). > > I think a) is definitely not a problem and b) could be realized by > asking the user before installing the oco-driver whether (s)he agrees > with the license (could probably be done in the preinstall-script?). > > - Are there any pitfalls in the license agreement I may have overseen? > > - Can the oco-drivers go into non-free? > > Since there is no source code available, the oco-drivers are not DFSG > compliant and therefore could not go into "main" or "contrib". So, > from the Debian POV, is it acceptable to put them into non-free? > Citing from a footnote in the Debian Policy Manual (version 3.5.5.0, > 2001-06-01, section "2.1.4 The non-free section"): > > "It is possible that there are policy requirements which the > package is unable to meet, for example, if the source is > unavailable. These situations will need to be handled on a > case-by-case basis." > > Who finally decides whether such a package can go into non-free? What > would be the alternative, if the package could not go into non-free > (i.e. not be part of the distribution at all)? > > Since the oco-drivers are needed on S/390 to establish direct > external network connections they play an essential role in making > Debian usable on S/390. If we could not integrate them into the > distribution, this would be a major problem. We could, e.g., not > provide an official Debian install-ramdisk (that would have to go > into non-free as well) that supports installation via one of the > devices driven by the oco-drivers... > > Awaiting your comments! > > Jochen > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
