Hello Mr. Rossouw, Peter, I'm an electrical engineer, so I got a bit interested in ViPEC. However, a preliminar analysis shows a possible problem with the ViPEC licensing, or at the very least a problem with how this licensing is understood by the ViPEC developers.
The sourceforge webpage, http://vipec.sourceforge.net, displays blatant contraditory information in the licensing topic. More specifically, it says ViPEC is distributed under the GNU GPL license, but adds "This means that the source code is available to all, and that you are free to make changes as you wish. Under no circumstances are you allowed to charge money for this software, or for any modified version of it." This is false. The GNU GPL specifically allows one to sell copies of the software, for whatever value they want. It, however, states that should someone (anyone) request a copy of the program source, it must be provided. Please clarify this issue with the core ViPEC developers (the owners of the copyright on the ViPEC source), and correct the misinformation in the sourceforge page. As it stands, one cannot be sure if the software is being distributed under the GNU GPL (which is welcome in Debian) or under a modified version of it that forbids charging money for the distribution of copies (which would disqualify ViPEC as free software according to the Debian Free Software Guidelines). Regardless of which is the intented meaning, the license distributed inside the ViPEC software package, and the one displayed in its official documentation and support site should be the same. As a Debian developer, I urge you to stick to the common text of the GPL; Otherwise, it creates problems for CDROM integrators... and we won't be able to include it in Debian. PS: I have not made up my mind yet whether I'm the best person to package ViPEC or not, but the above issue must be clarified before any Debian developer can package it for Debian, anyway. -- "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot Henrique Holschuh
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