Control: tags 1032150 wontfix Hello Blake,
(Dropping several mails from CC, as those are the wrong adressees for the topic; Adding the ITP bug though, as the discussion should happen there.) On Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 09:42:18AM -0600, Blake Gilbert wrote: > Hello, > > My name is Blake Gilbert and I work in the partnerships group at > Wolfram Research. > > I am reaching out to you regarding a recent package submission by our > Engine Connectivity Engineering team. We submitted the package CDImage > M-LINUX-WolframEngine.DEB a few months ago to include Wolfram Engine > in Debian packages, and I wanted to see if there was some way to help > move this project forward. Would you be able to assist with this > process or know the proper person to connect to? As elbrus mentioned already, please consult the resources on https://mentors.debian.net/intro-maintainers/ on packaing, and as you are upstream, this page is important too: https://wiki.debian.org/UpstreamGuide After seeing your mail I was curious and downloaded the deb you've linked in #1032150, and examined it's content. Unfortunatly, your package will need a lots of refactoring until it will be fit for inclusion into Debian. Please consult the linked resources above, and the documents that are linked there, especially the Debian Policy Manual) Here are two examples: - you're shipping everyhing in /opt, - the vendoring of system libraries (eg libssh, but it seems you are shipping everything you need vendored, as your package Depends: on nothing) But there is even a more severe problem, I would even say this makes this bug "wontfix" until this has been resolved. The package's d/copyright has: (...) Prohibited Uses All uses of the Software and other elements of the Free Engine not specifically allowed under these terms or otherwise set forth in alternative or supplemental license agreements or terms of use are prohibited, including, without limitation: (...) distributing, publishing, transferring, sublicensing, lending, leasing, renting or otherwise making available any portion of the Free Engine, including collections of data; copying or allowing copying of the Free Engine or any elements of the Free Engine, except as permitted for the maintenance of a single archival copy of the Engine; Please note the usual IANAL disclaimer, but doesn't this make it legally impossible for Debian to include the package into our archives? Even non-free requires *at least* the permission for (re-)distribution and all those associated rights you need that you actually can, technically, do the (re)distribution? I understand that your software is non-free and commercial in nature, and that you do not want to publish the source code. However, not having the source code will make it impossible for Debian to properly maintain the software in Debian [1], especially if Wolfram Alpha loses interest in maintaining it or if there are urgent problems to be fixed. [1] even if non-free is not officially part of Debian, we still want to give our users a good experience -- see our Social Contract. To be honest with you: many people in Debian (including me) will not sponsor packages, when there is no source available, so even if you invest a lot of time into brining the package on a more suitable-for-Debian quality level, there will be no guarantee that your package will be accepted in the end. Other thoughts: - you can always host your own Debian archives, if you wish so, and maintain the package outside of Debian; - Another approach could be to have an package in Debian, which will download and install e.g to the users directory -- for example this is how the package "steam-installer" does it to install Steam.) -- tobi
