Re: [GNU-linux-libre] has dosemu freedom issues?

[Jason Self]

Henry Jensen wrote:

> Hello,.
> 
> a user of my distro asked if we can include dosemu, another user said, that 
> we can't because dosemu has freedom issues.
> 
> To quote the user:
> "the DOS part needs OpenWatcom (OSS, but NOT libre) or TurboC/TurboC++
> (gratis not libre) to build." The "DOS part" refers to FreeDOS.
>
> OpenWatcom is released under the "Open Watcom Public License". The FSF 
> license list don't mention it.
>
> Has anyone more insight regarding this matter?
>
> Regards,
>
> Henry

Sam Geeraerts wrote:

> So dosemu is libre and FreeDOS is libre, but FreeDOS can only be built with 
> non-free tools? That last step is not good, but it's beyond what we should 
> worry about, IMO. If we have to check the build tools of software that we 
> don't carry but could be used with one of our packages, then we should also 
> check the build tools of those build tools and so on.

"...a free system distribution cannot include free software that can only be 
built by using nonfree software." [1]

That would seem to prevent dosemu from being included.

[1] http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html

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