Hello, I am trying to package LeoCAD <http://www.leocad.org> for debian. LeoCAD is a CAD program that uses plastic bricks to model figures (no specific brand :) LeoCAD uses the official parts library from ldraw <http://www.ldraw.org/> as well as several unofficial parts.
1) There is no stated license in the parts archive itself or at the ldraw website. I have emailed several people about this and, basically, no one seems to know anything about it. The author has said he will try to propose a license at the lugnet that all the parts files can use. I hope this problem can be resolved. I assume that the parts license must meet the DSFG... 2) The program itself is probably going to be released under the Open Compatibility License <http://www.gizmodrome.com/ocl_1_0_text.htm>. I had not heard of this before, and a search of debian-legal turned up nothing. The FSF says it is has major drawbacks and is incompatible with the GPL. Basically, it is a patchfile license. Altered versions must be distributed as patchfiles to the original. Patches must be OCL'd. The only problem I see is that it says "you must provide as part of your program an unaltered version of the software." Does distributing a debianized binary violate this? The debianization of this particular program involves no source code modifications (at least it will when the author incorporates my small changes). So, is this an "altered version"? What if I had to make source changes? Would distributing the binary but simply offering the source (through apt or whatever) satisfy this condition? I appreciate any comments... -- Pat Mahoney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> But maybe good is more than the absence of bad. -- Hobbes in "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson
