Hi,
[ BCC'ed maintainers of packages mentioned below ]
Chris Lamb pointed out that nmap uses a special version of the GPL-2
which is incompatible with the standard GPL license:
+---
| Because this license imposes special exceptions to the GPL, Covered
| work may not be combined (even as part of a larger work) with plain
| GPL software."
+---
The license in particular also forbids front-ends parsing nmap's output
that are released under a license not compatible with nmap's:
+---
| For example, we consider an application to constitute a
| derivative work for the purpose of this license if it does any of the
| following with any software or content covered by this license
| ("Covered Software"):
| [...]
| - Is designed specifically to execute Covered Software and parse the
| results (as opposed to typical shell or execution-menu apps, which
| will execute anything you tell them to).
+---
This means packages such as `nmapsi4`, `python-nmap`, `lsat`, `nikto`,
`zabbix`, `oscinventory-agent`, `fusioninventory-agent-task-network` and
possibly others which are licensed under the GPL-2 (some with or-later)
do not conform to nmap's license requirements...
I plan to file RC bugs against these packages soon; this thread can
serve as a central place for discussions.
Ansgar
