Public bug reported: ies4linux is an installer for Microsoft Internet Explorer which downloads MSI packages from MS and the evolt browser archive for multiple IE versions and some similarly non-free supporting software and deploys them into users' homes in standalone WINEPREFIXes with some registry tweaks for making everything integrate a little better. Its upstream location is http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Main_Page
The license for the installer package is GPLv2. Microsoft's licenses are decidedly non-free, and a valid MS OS license is required to run MSIE, according to the MSIE EULA. Thus, the ies4linux package must be an installer only. And clearly, this'll be a multiverse package. That said, there are plenty of users who own MS OS product licenses who work in Ubuntu, and the EULA for IE doesn't restrict end users to running IE within an MS OS product (apparently). I've been working on a package for a few weeks via ubuntuforums ( http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=636758 ), and I need to kick myself to get it in a better state and helping people out. There are still a few bugs to iron out in the packaging, but it's mostly ready for wider testing I hope. Why do this? Web developers trying to achieve cross-platform layouts and code, and users who feel they need to access IE-only websites. The browser bundles ies4linux installs may be flaky and insecure dues to their hybrid nature and the inherent insecurities of the IE software itself. They're not recommended for general browsing, and what I've done says as much, but I feel it would be a good and useful thing to help other Ubuntu and Debian users out of any holes which require IE they happen to find themselves stuck in. To ease integration with Ubuntu and Debian systems, I've written some debconf templates and postinst hackery to allow users to select which IEs they want on their system, and rather disgustingly split the installer into download and install/setup halves, the first of which is run at postinst time. ** Affects: ubuntu Importance: Undecided Assignee: Andrew Chadwick (achadwick) Status: In Progress ** Tags: needs-packaging ** Changed in: ubuntu Assignee: (unassigned) => Andrew Chadwick (achadwick) Status: New => In Progress -- [needs-packaging] ies4linux for Multiverse https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/182008 You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is the bug contact for Ubuntu. -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
