request (hoary/restricted:nonfree): mail-notification-1.1

**alexp** · April 8th, 2005

Hello,

I'd like you to add mail-notification *with SSL/TLS support enabled* to the backports repository. Please note that the package itself is already in hoary (universe), but SSL/TLS support has been disabled by the Debian package maintainer due to licensing issues.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no hope that this issue will ever change, as the developer is unwilling to change the package license to be Debian-compatible, and the debian-legal department is unwilling to use a not-so-strict interpretation of certain parts of the GPL

.

However, without the ability to securely connect to the mail server, this package is rendered useless for most people. As such, I'd like to suggest the following:

One should add the package to backports, slightly changing the package name (eg. adding -nonfree or -ssl to it) and putting a small note into the package description and the README (or README.Debian/Ubuntu/whatever) file which describes the situation and licensing problems which may arise with the installation. I'd happily help with that, but I have no experience with deb packaging (though I could write an ebuild

for the Gentoo refugees). Still, I'll try to help wherever possible -- just ask.

I know that the developer himself maintains deb packages with SSL/TLS enabled, but installing them via dpkg is a far-from-perfect solution, as the Ubuntu update-manager almost immediately complains about available updates for the package.

Regards,
Alexander Papaspyrou

**nocturn** · April 8th, 2005

Originally Posted by alexp

Hello,

I'd like you to add mail-notification *with SSL/TLS support enabled* to the backports repository. Please note that the package itself is already in hoary (universe), but SSL/TLS support has been disabled by the Debian package maintainer due to licensing issues.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no hope that this issue will ever change, as the developer is unwilling to change the package license to be Debian-compatible, and the debian-legal department is unwilling to use a not-so-strict interpretation of certain parts of the GPL

.

However, without the ability to securely connect to the mail server, this package is rendered useless for most people. As such, I'd like to suggest the following:

One should add the package to backports, slightly changing the package name (eg. adding -nonfree or -ssl to it) and putting a small note into the package description and the README (or README.Debian/Ubuntu/whatever) file which describes the situation and licensing problems which may arise with the installation. I'd happily help with that, but I have no experience with deb packaging (though I could write an ebuild

for the Gentoo refugees). Still, I'll try to help wherever possible -- just ask.

I know that the developer himself maintains deb packages with SSL/TLS enabled, but installing them via dpkg is a far-from-perfect solution, as the Ubuntu update-manager almost immediately complains about available updates for the package.

Regards,
Alexander Papaspyrou

Debian legal can be insane about such things...
I read the clauses and the reply of the mail-notification author, there is no problem whatsoever with enabling SSL in it since it neither incorporates nor redistributes OpenSSL, it links against it.

**alexp** · April 8th, 2005

nocturn,

I read the clauses and the reply of the mail-notification author, there is no problem whatsoever with enabling SSL in it since it neither incorporates nor redistributes OpenSSL, it links against it.

Well, I don't see the problem either -- especially since openssl already is part of Ubuntu. Alas, the debian package maintainer does not seem to share our opinion; and as hoary (universe) seems to use the debian vanilla deb, this won't ever change.

Regards,
Alexander