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artik
08-05-2006, 04:21 PM
Hello,

I want to create a localized version of Knoppix, however reading EULA of knoppix I understand that the LiveCD can not be redestributed before all the non-free packages will be removed or their licenses will be checked.

Because I'm not a lawer (and I don't have one) I'd prefare remove any non-GPL/non-free packages from the CD in order to prevent any kind of unpleasent issues in the future and not enforce me to check the licenses of all non-GPL packeges. I've searched the web and hadn't found any list of non-GPL software only message that they exists.

If someone can direct me to such kind of list it will help me a lot.

Thanks,
Artik

artik
08-07-2006, 09:13 AM
If you don't know what non-GPL packages are included, maybe you can me direct to the place where I can ask?
Or at least review the licenses of non-GPL packages.

malaire
08-07-2006, 10:22 AM
If you don't know what non-GPL packages are included, maybe you can me direct to the place where I can ask?
Or at least review the licenses of non-GPL packages.


Most of the software in Knoppix is directly from Debian.
All Debian-packages allways installs their copyright-texts to /usr/share/doc/PACKAGE_NAME/copyright

So you could check all those files to see which has non-GPL licenses. Knoppix 4.0.2 CD has 1187 such files:


knoppix@0[knoppix]$ find /usr/share/doc -name copyright | sort
/usr/share/doc/aalib1/copyright
/usr/share/doc/ace-of-penguins/copyright
/usr/share/doc/acpi/copyright
/usr/share/doc/acroread/copyright
/usr/share/doc/adduser/copyright
/usr/share/doc/aespipe/copyright
/usr/share/doc/airsnort/copyright
/usr/share/doc/akregator/copyright
/usr/share/doc/alevt/copyright
/usr/share/doc/alien/copyright
...
/usr/share/doc/zip/copyright
/usr/share/doc/zlib1g/copyright
/usr/share/doc/zlib1g-dev/copyright
/usr/share/doc/zr364xx-modules-2.6.12/copyright
/usr/share/doc/zydas-modules-2.6.12/copyright
/usr/share/doc/3270-common/copyright


If you only want to remove packages which are non-free by Debians standards, you can start kpackage and see what packages are mentioned in non-free section.

For Knoppix 4.0.2 CD there are these packages in non-free:


non-free/admin
bluez-firmware
non-free/graphics
giflib-bin
giflib3g
non-free/net
x3270
3270-common
non-free/text
acroread
non-free/utils
lha
unarj

artik
08-07-2006, 01:24 PM
Thank you a lot! :D

Artik

tr
08-07-2006, 04:28 PM
If you only want to remove packages which are non-free by Debians standards, you can start kpackage and see what packages are mentioned in non-free section.


In Knoppix 5.0.1 is package vrms which shows non-free packages. This is what I have in my remastered and hd installed version:


$ vrms

Non-free packages installed on abc

avm-firmware AVM firmware
bluez-firmware Firmware for Bluetooth devices
drdsl DSL Assistant for AVM DSL/ISDN-Controllers
giflib-bin programs to convert GIF images
giflib3g shared library for GIF images (runtime lib)
lha lzh archiver
Reason: No modifications allowed, non-network distributions problematic
madwifi-modules-2.6.17-be modules for the Multiband Atheros Driver for WiFi (ker
madwifi-tools tools for the Multiband Atheros Driver for WiFi
mozilla-sun-j2se1.4-binar Sun Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 1.4 Runtime Envir
nxclient NoMachine NX - NX Client.
openoffice.org2-soikko Oo2-soikko, a Finnish spell-checker and hyphenation fo
sun-j2se1.4-jdk-binary Sun Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 1.4 Development K
sun-j2se1.4-jre-binary Sun Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 1.4 Runtime Envir
tmispell-soikko Ispell-compatible wrapper for Soikko Finnish spell che
ttf-xfree86-nonfree non-free TrueType fonts from XFree86

15 non-free packages, 1.1% of 1419 installed packages.


-tapsa-

artik
08-07-2006, 09:50 PM
Thanks a lot!

that was exactly what I'm looking for!

artik
10-08-2006, 09:09 AM
Something didn't worked in my case.

Following non-free packages were not found by vrms:

atmel-firmware
avm-firmware
ipw2100-nonfree
ipw2200-nonfree
prism54-nonfree

I'll have to find what is the problem and maybe find alternative way to verify packages.

tr
10-09-2006, 04:25 PM
Following non-free packages were not found by vrms:

atmel-firmware
avm-firmware
ipw2100-nonfree
ipw2200-nonfree
prism54-nonfree


You are right, it don't seem to work as intended. What about the following:

dpkg -l | grep nonfree
ii ipw2100-nonfree 1.3-1 IPW2100 wireless device firmware files from In
ii ipw2200-nonfree 2.4-1 IPW2200 wireless device firmware files from In
ii prism54-nonfree 0.1-2 Prism54 wireless card firmware files
ii smbconf-pfeifle-nonfree 0.5-2 Binary only/freely distributable files for Kur
ii ttf-xfree86-nonfree 4.2.1-3 non-free TrueType fonts from XFree86

Then look what every package contains, e.g.

dpkg -L ipw2100-nonfree
/.
/usr
/usr/lib
/usr/lib/hotplug
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.2.fw
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.2-i.fw
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.2-p.fw
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3.fw
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3-i.fw
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3-p.fw
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100.fw.LICENSE
/usr/share
/usr/share/doc
/usr/share/doc/ipw2100-nonfree
/usr/share/doc/ipw2100-nonfree/copyright
/usr/share/doc/ipw2100-nonfree/changelog.Debian.gz

And look what copyright file says. Some non-free packages may be used and distributed freely but not modified. Hope they would all be free :(

-tapsa-

artik
10-11-2006, 10:59 AM
Yes you right...
But it seems to me that I'll have to build the list of all "true" Debian packages - and see that they are not in "non-free", and the rest of the packages I'll go over the licenses manually to be sure.


Some non-free packages may be used and distributed freely but not modified.

I know. But for example I've found some restrictions in avm-firmware. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't have one, so I don't want to go over tens of licenses trying to figure out what restrictions they can add: Can I redestrebute them? Can I sell CDs with them? Can someone that takes the CD redistribute it once more? Do I need add "no reverse engeneering" license agreement? etc...

As you see for very practical reasons, its much easier to distribute GPL software.

So I want Kazit (Hebrew version of Knoppix) will be "free like a speech" and not "free like a beer".

Thanks.

malaire
10-11-2006, 11:32 AM
As you see for very practical reasons, its much easier to distribute GPL software.


Unfortunately even GPL isn't allways safe.

Linux Kernel is GPL software, but at least some versions seems to include pieces which are illegal to distribute.
One problem which has been discussed recently in debian-vote is about GPLed sourceless firmwares included in Linux Kernel.

According to GPL you clearly can't distribute these firmwares because you don't have source-code for them. Unfortunately there are people who think that this isn't illegal, and so it can happen that Debian Etch will include such firmwares. (I don't know what the situation is with Knoppix.)

More information about this can be found from http://doolittle.icarus.com/~larry/fwinventory/2.6.17.html

tr
10-11-2006, 03:58 PM
Because I'm not a lawer (and I don't have one) I'd prefare remove any non-GPL/non-free packages from the CD in order to prevent any kind of unpleasent issues in the future and not enforce me to check the licenses of all non-GPL packeges.

I understand your point very well because I had to remove libdvdcss2 from my remastering about a year ago (copyright law changed in Finland). Better to be sure because no-one want to go to the court.

But If you have only those packages tha are in original Knoppix, you don't have to bother. This has been discussed many times in debian-knoppix mailing list, see e.g. http://lists.debian.org/debian-knoppix/2005/12/msg00020.html, read and relax yourself :)

-tapsa-

artik
10-12-2006, 11:23 AM
I think I'll have to find some "common sense" in what can be redistributed and what not.
Anyway I'll remove all closed FW and non free packages.

If someone will find something that I hadn't found... it will be a bug 8)

BTW I'm less worried about patents (like MP3 software) because as far as I know - it is relevant only for US and I'm in Israel :D
Knoppix does not contain things that can't be distributed by Mandriva or Debian.

Actually I thought about mplayer (because it is best player to show hebrew subtitles), but I don't know what are the exact problems with it (it is still out of Debian for some reason).

Anyway thanks