Hi, 2016-08-13 3:44 GMT+01:00 Legimet <legimet.c...@gmail.com>: > Source: libsdl1.2 > Version: 1.2.15+dfsg1-4 > Severity: serious > Justification: Policy 2.1 > > Dear Maintainer, > > The file src/video/fbcon/riva_mmio.h has a nonfree license that does not > explicitly allow modification.
Thanks for the report. I am copying FTP-masters to know their opinion. This file has been present in Debian for the best part of 2 decades, so possibly the people who reviewed and approved this initially are not around anymore or, if they are, that they don't recall the details if they were discussed. >From my understanding, despite the brevity of the wording but given the context, with "using this code in individual and commercial software" is implicit the possibility of modification, as in "use in any way you wish" -- modifications might be needed due to changes in compiler/toolchain or to integrate in the bigger "commercial" software (e.g. changing names to avoid clashes). These licenses are usually to prevent that the source code is leaked/accessible to the outside world, or used in commercial software without being paid. Since this license prevents neither, I don't think that prevent modification is of any use to the copyright holders... .... but it's true that it doesn't explicitly allow modification or says anything beyond "use". > The file is from xf86-video-nv, and has > subsequently been relicensed under the MIT/Expat license: > https://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/driver/xf86-video-nv/tree/src/riva_hw.h > > It should be possible to use the newer version of the file. The code is not identical, for example the "NV_" macros in the beginning of the old file are not present in the second. The "struct _riva_hw_inst" is different in both versions as well (e.g. fields Architecture and Version present in the first file, but not in the second), so not API nor ABI compatible. So it needs to be handled with some care in any case. (BTW, it would be nice to discuss this with upstream if it needs to be removed/updated, unfortunately I don't have much time in the next few weeks, so if somebody beats me to it I will not complain :) . They should also have access to some nice legal department, being developed by Steam now). Cheers. -- Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo <manuel.montez...@gmail.com>
