Need a complete list of non-free included packages

**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

Originally Posted by artik

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:

Code:

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:

Code:

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!

Artik

tr · 08-07-2006, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by malaire

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:

Code:

$ 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

Originally Posted by artik

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:

Code:

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.

Code:

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

Originally Posted by artik

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/f...ry/2.6.17.html