Bug #105890 for Math-PlanePath: License issue in dependency

Thu Jul 16 03:48:20 2015 REHSACK [...] cpan.org - Ticket created

CC:	ticotimo [...] gmail.com
Subject:	License issue in dependency

Hi Kevin, thanks for your wonderful contribution. Unfortunately I have a minor issue I'd like to discuss to find a suitable solution: Math::PlanePath depends on Math::Libm - but Math::Libm doesn't have a valid license for being distributed with any Open-Source system. Concrete, I'm working on packaging cpan modules for NetBSD and Yocto. The latter one is a cross-building Linux distribution builder, which allowes easy adoption of Linux on your favourite embedded Platform, like a router or a media player, not being restricted to a standard distribution with probably unfortunate hardware support (missing hardware-encryption support, lack support of video unit, ...). Can you work out the Math::Libm dependency in a way which allows to skip it (maybe fall-back to Math::BigInt or Math::Complex when Math::Libm is not available)? Best regards and thanks again for your impressive work. Cheers, Jens

Thu Jul 16 04:43:13 2015 user42_kevin [...] yahoo.com.au - Correspondence added

Subject:	Re: [rt.cpan.org #105890] License issue in dependency
Date:	Thu, 16 Jul 2015 18:40:42 +1000
To:	"Jens Rehsack via RT" <bug-Math-PlanePath [...] rt.cpan.org>
From:	Kevin Ryde <user42_kevin [...] yahoo.com.au>

"Jens Rehsack via RT" <bug-Math-PlanePath@rt.cpan.org> writes: Show quoted text

> > Math::PlanePath depends on Math::Libm - but Math::Libm doesn't have a > valid license for being distributed with any Open-Source system.

The Fedora maintainers apparently clarified it with the author as "same terms as perl". Debian has a note and reproduced email in /usr/share/doc/libmath-libm-perl/copyright, ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/pool/main/libm/libmath-libm-perl/libmath-libm-perl_1.0-1.debian.tar.gz Is that enough? The author might be slightly inactive. I wouldn't mind seeing the gamma() function added to it. Show quoted text

> Can you work out the Math::Libm dependency in a way which allows to > skip it (maybe fall-back to Math::BigInt or Math::Complex when > Math::Libm is not available)?

I had it for slightly more accuracy from hypot() than sum and sqrt(), and an asin() which Math::Trig offers too. (Though I'm not actually certain hypot() is always more accurate. I think I wondered once if Math::Libm ought to use the long double libm funcs if NV is a long double, but maybe such a size is unusual.) -- If you book them they will come.

Thu Jul 16 04:43:14 2015 The RT System itself - Status changed from 'new' to 'open'

Thu Jul 16 05:13:21 2015 REHSACK [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

On Thu Jul 16 04:43:13 2015, user42_kevin@yahoo.com.au wrote: Show quoted text

> "Jens Rehsack via RT" <bug-Math-PlanePath@rt.cpan.org> writes:

> > > > Math::PlanePath depends on Math::Libm - but Math::Libm doesn't have a > > valid license for being distributed with any Open-Source system.

> > The Fedora maintainers apparently clarified it with the author as > "same > terms as perl". Debian has a note and reproduced email in > /usr/share/doc/libmath-libm-perl/copyright, > > ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/pool/main/libm/libmath-libm-perl/libmath- > libm-perl_1.0-1.debian.tar.gz > > Is that enough?

I fetched the archive and read the mail, this is enough. Having this source, I can do the same thing, the debian folks did. Show quoted text

> The author might be slightly inactive. I wouldn't mind seeing the > gamma() function added to it.

You can try to takeover the module. Mail the author, try all mail addresses you know and ask for transferring the maintainership for given reason. If you don't get a reply in 2-3 weeks, repeat with modules@perl.org in CC. Hearing nothing for 3 weeks again, kindly ask modules@ for transferring co-maint to you. Show quoted text

> > Can you work out the Math::Libm dependency in a way which allows to > > skip it (maybe fall-back to Math::BigInt or Math::Complex when > > Math::Libm is not available)?

> > I had it for slightly more accuracy from hypot() than sum and sqrt(), > and an asin() which Math::Trig offers too. > > (Though I'm not actually certain hypot() is always more accurate. > I think I wondered once if Math::Libm ought to use the long double > libm > funcs if NV is a long double, but maybe such a size is unusual.)

You can see Unix::Statgrab as an example how to deal with types for certain platforms. Cheers, Jens

Tue Oct 20 22:25:44 2015 KRYDE [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

I wouldn't mind having a go at Libm, but I don't actually know if the author has let it go or still active ...

Tue Oct 20 22:25:50 2015 KRYDE [...] cpan.org - Status changed from 'open' to 'resolved'

Wed Oct 21 04:53:56 2015 REHSACK [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

My question has been answered by referring the debian package. This solves the license issue for me ;) Maybe you put a hint on that into modules documentation (I use the same mail in meta-cpan).