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

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hi Marc,

Marc Weber <marco-oweber at gmx.de> writes:

> So basically you're asking for
>
> meta = {
>   license = { reviewed = true; value = "GPL"; }; # .. bad if you copy paste. You can forget to change this
> }

That’s one possibility but I find it tedious.  For instance, all GNU
packages are free per the 4 freedoms, so it seems easier to just list
them in a file (which is what I called “free-packages.nix” or
“gnu-packages.nix”) than to update their license field.

Also, as you point out, copy/paste errors could happen.

> Another way (never do copy/paste errors): Add a file which contains the
> reviewed packages so that a packages is unreviewed unless explicit
> action is taken or such..

Yes, that’s roughly the idea with “free-packages.nix” (that could be
“reviewed-packages.nix” instead but I assumed there isn’t much to review
in proprietary software).

Thanks,
Ludo’.