On Mon, Dec 16, 2002 at 06:27:36PM +0200, shlomo solomon wrote:
> I was wondering if someone could explain the **philosophy** of the contrib
> directory on a Mandrake mirror. More specifically, after installing MDK 9.0,
> I noticed that AbiWord is no longer in the distro. After looking around, I
> found it, and lots of other packages in the contrib directory on one of the
> mirrors.
>
> Aside from saving disk space (but they could always add another iso to the
> download set), why are some packages in contrib and not in the distribution?
>
Due to licensing issues, perhaps with some other packages that the
package under question is interacting with? I would explore the Mandrake
site more carefully if I was interested in the exact reasons.
What will be easier for me is to quote why Debian has a contrib
directory. It could be that the reasons are somewhat similar.
Quoting the Debian policy:
(DFSG = Debian Free Software Guidelines)
2.1.3. The contrib section
--------------------------
Every package in _contrib_ and _non-US/contrib_ must comply with the
DFSG.
In addition, the packages in _contrib_ and _non-US/contrib_
* must not be so buggy that we refuse to support them, and
* must meet all policy requirements presented in this manual.
Furthermore, packages in _contrib_ must not require a package in a
_non-US_ section for compilation or execution.
Examples of packages which would be included in _contrib_ or
_non-US/contrib_ are:
* free packages which require _contrib_, _non-free_ packages or
packages which are not in our archive at all for compilation or
execution, and
* wrapper packages or other sorts of free accessories for non-free
programs.
> And a second question - I looked on the Mandrake site and GOOGLEd quiite a
> bit, but couldn't find a list of the packages in contrib. Such a list does
> exist for the packages on the CDs (including a one-line explanation of what
> each package is). Does anyone know of such a list?
>
> TIA
>
> --
> Shlomo Solomon
> http://come.to/shlomo.solomon
> Sent by KMail (KDE 3.0.3) on LINUX Mandrake 9.0
>
--
Shaul Karl, [EMAIL PROTECTED] e t
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