Fedora review

[Jeff Spaleta]

On 7/20/05, Thilo Pfennig <tp at alternativ.net> wrote:
> So like from up2date one could choose: "add
> external sources". The list could be updated via web - and then there
> would be no problem, because only the enabling software is distributed.

I think you are wrong about where the grey line is.  My personal
understanding is that nothing distributed by default can pull  in
outside package sources to choose from or it has the potential to run
afoul of the definition of "contributory infringement". You can't have
up2date or any tool in the distro point to a list of external repos to
choose from. Just like fedora.redhat.com can not link directly to a
site like fedoratracker.

What would work would be a mimetype definition that 3rd party repos
could use in a "Setup repository" link to install reponame-release
package that contained the yum repo definitions and other items just
like fedora-release package does  and livna-release package does.  But
people would still have to google to find those repositories. Fedora
can not link to a site explicitly meant to connect users to items
Fedora itself can not legally distribute without risking "contributory
infringement" claims if those outside repos trafficking in items not
legally distributable under US law.  You can provide a mechansim to
easily point and click install the setup files needed to make an
additional repository active once a user finds them.. but you can not
point those users directly to additional repos. They must find them by
other means.

-jef