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[FREEDOM ISSUE] boinc downloads nonfree apps
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Description

Package: boinc-client
Tag: [nonfree]
Reference: http://libreplanet.org/wiki/List_of_software_that_does_not_respect_the_Free_System_Distribution_Guidelines#boinc/boinc-app-seti https://trisquel.info/en/issues/5658
Short description: This report tracks the 1st of those: boinc downloads nonfree apps
Proposed solution: drop
Replacement:
Notes:

FSF report tracks 2 independent issues together. This report tracks the 1st of those: boinc downloads nonfree apps

Event Timeline

mladen created this task.May 4 2017, 16:05
mladen renamed this task from [FREEDOM ISSUE] boinc-nox to [FREEDOM ISSUE] boinc-client.May 5 2017, 04:07
mladen updated the task description. (Show Details)
hema.prathaban added a subscriber: mak.May 6 2017, 08:49

Mak, Zlatan, what are the steps to drop this package, do we have to remove dependent packages as well.

mladen added a comment.May 8 2017, 05:00

@hema.prathaban hold on with this package, I don't think it's nonfree, it seems that upstream removed the problematic file.

mladen updated the task description. (Show Details)May 8 2017, 07:55

Nah, it's on the FSF's list of non free software, let's just drop it.

mak lowered the priority of this task from 95 to Freedom Issue.Aug 18 2017, 22:10
jonas.smedegaard renamed this task from [FREEDOM ISSUE] boinc-client to [FREEDOM ISSUE] boinc downloads nonfree apps.Sep 7 2017, 08:55
jonas.smedegaard removed hema.prathaban as the assignee of this task.
jonas.smedegaard updated the task description. (Show Details)
jonas.smedegaard added a subscriber: hema.prathaban.
jonas.smedegaard updated the task description. (Show Details)Sep 7 2017, 08:58
jonas.smedegaard removed a subscriber: hema.prathaban.
jonas.smedegaard assigned this task to mak.Sep 7 2017, 09:09
jonas.smedegaard added a subscriber: jonas.smedegaard.

I agree with the conclusion done by Trisquel: While Debian arguably tolerate Free clients pulling non-free code from external services, PureOS cannot do that when seeking FSF endorsement.

@mak Please block boinc (and all boinc-* if not done as an automatic consequence).

• ArloJamesBarnes added a subscriber: • ArloJamesBarnes.Sep 14 2017, 13:18

Is it that the programs sent by the individual projects for the clients to calculate are often nonfree?

jonas.smedegaard added a comment.Sep 14 2017, 13:30

I don't understand BOINC well enough to say how exactly the distributed code gets fed into the system, only (believe that I) understand that it does happen and that we cannot ensure that code fed into the system is freely licensed.

jonas.smedegaard added a comment.Sep 14 2017, 13:32

(as a sidenote I also realize that a web browser can execute code from alien sources and similarly cannot be ensured to only process Freely licensed code - I have no idea by which logic FSF can approve operating systems containing web browsers...)

mak closed this task as Resolved.Oct 7 2017, 16:30

I don't understand BOINC well enough to say how exactly the distributed code gets fed into the system, only (believe that I) understand that it does happen and that we cannot ensure that code fed into the system is freely licensed.

BOINC only downloads nonfree code if the user explicitly requested that (it needs an URL for that from a research facility using it for distributed computing), so I actually would think it's fine, especially since Debian ships two free apps using it.

But well, since Trisquel doesn't have it and that Libreplanet page also lists some unclear license stuff, it's now dropped from PureOS.