Re: [GNU-linux-libre] programming language package manager

[Sam Geeraerts]

Op Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:03:49 -0400
schreef Richard Stallman <address@hidden>:

> * Make free replacement repositories, and modify our versions
> of those packages to use the free ones.  We would fill
> free replacement repositories with the free packages from
> the existing repositories.

This involves (per repository):

- setting up a repository space
- making a script that checks the license of each package and pulls it
  when approved
- maintaining a modified version of the package manager to point to the
  alternative URL
- annoying people who perceive this as dividing the community

I suggested [1] asking the people who run the repositories to add a
license filter. That way the only other thing we need to do is maintain
a modified version of the package manager that filters on free
licenses. Of course it would be better if the repositories only
included free software, but at least this way users of free
distributions would not be exposed to the non-free packages.

One potential issue just occurred to me: free packages can have
non-free dependencies. But if we can tackle that, then this could be a
low effort compromise.

What do you think?

[1]
http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/gnu-linux-libre/2016-04/msg00114.html