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libxnvctrl - promotes non-free NVIDIA driver
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Description

Reference: https://labs.parabola.nu/issues/763

Packages libxnvctrl-dev and libxnvctrl are only useful for nonfree nvidia driver

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mladen created this task.May 8 2017, 07:18
mladen updated the task description. (Show Details)May 12 2017, 15:07
zlatan.todoric added a subscriber: mak.May 20 2017, 05:03

@mak while maybe it could be patched through hoops of things (and maybe ends up being useful one day for free nvidia driver), now, just drop those packages and close the bug.

mak added a comment.EditedMay 22 2017, 15:43

Broken Depends:

conky: conky-all
mate-sensors-applet: mate-sensors-applet-nvidia
psensor: psensor

Broken Build-Depends:

conky: libxnvctrl-dev |nvidia-settings
mate-sensors-applet: libxnvctrl-dev
psensor: libxnvctrl-dev |nvidia-settings
qtwebengine-opensource-src: libxnvctrl-dev

--> We can't remove this just yet.

zlatan.todoric added a comment.May 22 2017, 15:45

woah, so it needs more work on it...

mak added a comment.May 22 2017, 15:45

Also, I don't get why the thing is actually a "freedom issue" if it's actually free software (sure, it only becomes really useful if one uses non-free drivers, but we don't ship those. Removing this thing will cause some pain though, mainly through psensor and qtwebengine)

zlatan.todoric added a comment.May 22 2017, 15:48

Yeah, I have similar comments for smtube issue. As this is also indeed Free software and sadly it is not usable without nonfree nvidia, we will postpone the work on it because of obvious dependency havoc it would cause. It also doesn't break FSF rules afaik.

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] libxnvctrl to [FREEDOM ISSUE] libxnvctrl - promotes non-free NVIDIA driver.Oct 19 2017, 10:03
jonas.smedegaard claimed this task.
jonas.smedegaard added a subscriber: hema.prathaban.
jonas.smedegaard removed a subscriber: hema.prathaban.
jonas.smedegaard renamed this task from [FREEDOM ISSUE] libxnvctrl - promotes non-free NVIDIA driver to libxnvctrl - promotes non-free NVIDIA driver.Oct 24 2017, 08:28
jonas.smedegaard updated the task description. (Show Details)
jonas.smedegaard edited projects, added Freedom-harm: need nonfree code; removed Freedom.
jonas.smedegaard reassigned this task from jonas.smedegaard to mak.Oct 30 2017, 03:42
jonas.smedegaard added a subscriber: jonas.smedegaard.

@mak please block libxnvctrl when pending qtwebengine-opensource-src is approved.

mak closed this task as Resolved.Nov 4 2017, 18:11
Will remove the following packages from landing:

libxnvctrl-dev |   375.66-3 | amd64
libxnvctrl0 |   375.66-3 | amd64
nvidia-settings |   375.66-3 | source

Maintainer: Debian NVIDIA Maintainers <pkg-nvidia-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org>
Will also send CCs to: <<redacted>>

------------------- Reason -------------------
Freedom issue
----------------------------------------------

Checking reverse dependencies...
No dependency problem found.

Going to remove the packages now.
Deleting... done.
$ lk-admin synchrotron blacklist-add nvidia-settings 'References non-free NVIDIA driver'
Package blacklisted.
jonas.smedegaard changed the task status from Resolved to Invalid.Dec 18 2018, 14:31

I have come to same conclusion as you, @mak, that this is no Freedom issue, and too painful without any real gain to try solve.

My previous reasoning was that libxnvctrl encourages the use of non-free software indirectly by encouraging hte use of hardware (GPUs) that work only with non-free software. But that is slightly (yet semantic importantly) wrong: a library enables use but does not encourage said use (this is the equivalent to the debate in Debian over libraries recommending executables they enable access to - e.g. gnupg).

Bug was closed and stay closed. Changing semantics for closing to be because it is invalid (not because all instances of this issue is addressed).