Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Violations of GPL in GuixSD packaging design

[Jean Louis]

Hello Ludovic,

Thank you much. I could now unpack the sources. And I could verify that
patched wicd sources are on the GuixSD substitute distribution website.

I don't agree quite that packages shall be built in such manner
that one is forced to use guix archive -x solution. Because I am not
sure if guix packaging fits into the definition of "medium customarily
used for software interchange". I am going to leave that issue, as I
could download the sources as test to see if object or executable
distribution is accompanied with the source code. Not sure if
"accompanied" should consist of reading the guix package manager manual
file. In my opinion it should not. One shall be able to simply download
sources, and without usage of guix packaging. Sources are of use for
anyone, not only for guix users who have that option.

I am reluctant to say that it is easy or was easy for me. It was not at
all. Thank you for solving that part of the arguments I have brought. It
was not easy for you either, as I have asked you on the IRC to provide
me with the link, after there was no answer, I have asked it on the
mailing list.

Also, such provision of corresponding source code on the Hydra or other
official mirrors, shall be in my opinion be displayed and presented on
each Hydra mirror website. You are already displaying "Welcome! This is
the continuous integration farm of the GNU distribution built with GNU
Guix, providing you with binaries to save you the need to build packages
locally. " -- I hope you can include more information on how people can
get sources, not only binaries.

The other observations that I have mentioned, shall not be ignored:

- the wicd scripts have been patched. One shall observe the GPL2, where
  it says in section 2, " You must cause the modified files to carry
  prominent notices stating that you changed the files and the date of
  any change." - however on the modified file (as test), named:
  wicd-curses.py -- there is no such prominent notice. The file is from
  1970, I doubt there is any reference to date either. I have looked
  into patches to verify it. The date of the patch is not the date of
  the modification, if such modification is done programmatically on
  Hydra servers.

  Neither there is such a notice of modifications in the file CHANGES
  that is in the source code delivered from Hydra server. That is most
  expected place to find such modifications.

  We have to observe this from the viewpoint of authors of software
  packages. They wish to see "prominent notices stating that you (who?)
  changed the file and the date of any change" as that is exactly what
  they specified in the GPL2 license (the other licenses I have not
  carefully reviewed).

- the other matter has to be observed that the License itself was not
  delivered with the substitutes (object or executable form) of the
  packages I have tried, and I have already searched for License in some
  of them, such as in aria2, wicd, pulseaudio...

Thank you much for following these matters and improving GuixSD further.

Jean Louis

On Wed, Apr 06, 2016 at 09:22:02PM +0200, Ludovic Courtès wrote:
> Why don’t try this:
> 
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> $ wget -q -O - 
> https://mirror.hydra.gnu.org/nar/p0kpcqzs4ylyni5yj8dv18kgj0x12zjb-wicd-1.7.3.tar.xz
>  \
>    | bunzip2 | guix archive -x /tmp/wicd.tar.xz
> $ file /tmp/wicd.tar.xz 
> /tmp/wicd.tar.xz: XZ compressed data
> $ md5sum /tmp/wicd.tar.xz 
> 50f918b7a31eabe97f0ffa3c1bf08452  /tmp/wicd.tar.xz
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> 
> It’s mentioned here:
> 
>   
> https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/html_node/Invoking-guix-challenge.html
> 
> Please do your homework before asserting things like this.
> 
> Ludo’.
>