[Nix-dev] Separating Free/non-free package

[Sander van der Burg - EWI]

I think seperating packages in a "per-policy" composition file is a very bad idea. It becomes even more difficult for files like python-packages.nix or other expressions that provide their own compositions like the KDE 4.3 expression. Should we also provide a free-python-packages.nix and a free-kde-packages.nix etc? And what about all the redundant code? I think this will make things much more difficult.

We had discussions about these issues in the past and I proposed an idea which is much better idea IMHO :-) .

We should specify for every package a proper license meta attribute and use that license attribute to determine whether the component is free software, open source software, freely distributable or what-ever-class of software you want.

The Nix package manager, however, does not yet provide features to deal with licenses or classes of licenses but this can be implemented in the feature. The other thing is that packages can be released under multiple licenses, such as Firefox which is MPL/LGPL/GPL tri-licensed or Qt which has also a commercial license option. We also don't specify these yet.

-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: nix-dev-bounces at cs.uu.nl namens Michael Raskin
Verzonden: za 19-9-2009 16:18
Aan: Ludovic Courtès
CC: nix-dev at cs.uu.nl
Onderwerp: Re: [Nix-dev] Separating Free/non-free package
 
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Ludovic Courtès wrote:
> To achieve a separation of Free (per
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html) and non-free packages in
> Nixpkgs, I'm considering splitting 'all-packages.nix' in 3 files such
> that:
> 
>   gnu-packages.nix ? free-packages.nix ? all-packages.nix

I don't get the first step. First part is per-vendor, not per-freedom.
The mere fact that the package is a GNU one, doesn't mean it is more or
less free than any other package with an OSI-approved license.

> The 'gnu-packages.nix' file can be easily obtained by grepping for
> "mirror://gnu" and similar.  The second one would include
> 'gnu-packages.nix' and definitions for other free software packages; it
> will need auditing work on our side, which is probably going to be a lot
> of work, which can be done incrementally.  Finally, 'all-packages.nix'
> will include 'free-packages.nix' and provide definitions for proprietary
> software and software that hasn't yet been audited.

Here we have another problem. What is the criterion for free-packages?
Four-freedoms? DFSG? OSI? These three rulesets give slightly different
outcomes. If you want to comply with GNU guidelines for "Fully Free
Distributions", say so explicitly.

> Ideally, each of these files should be usable as a drop-in replacement
> of the current 'all-packages.nix'.

It will never be so, unless you package HURD and upstart over it.
Because GNU-packages will lack "kernel" package otherwise.

Depending on your point of view, free-packages.nix may need Linux-Libre
kernel package, although if you go four-freedoms way it is not needed.

> If nobody objects, I'd like to start with the first step (moving GNU
> package definitions in 'gnu-packages.nix') possibly by the end of the
> week-end.

I feel like what you want to do is slightly misguided. If you want to
separate packages on the basis of their being more or less free, you
should first describe goals and rules.

Maybe the better first step would be introducing some consistent rules
of describing license features in meta and starting a packager's guide
to determining presence of these features.
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