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Freedom Issue #972

TeXLive freedom verification

Anonymous - about 8 years ago - . Updated 28 days ago.

Status:
forwarded upstream
Priority:
freedom issue
Assignee:
-
% Done:

47%


Description

This page describes possible incompatibilities of TeXLive packages included in Parabola GNU/Linux-libre with the Free System Distribution Guidelines.

Everything below is based on files included in the source archives listed in the PKGBUILDs.

The word ''package'' refers here to a single TeXLive package, many of which are in Arch packages like texlive-core.

This list assumes that the source archives are the real source of the package and that they include all information needed to determine if a package is free. Both these assumptions are incorrect, so more packages will be listed as nonfree.

A package being listed in any group other than "No problems" doesn't mean that it doesn't have other problems – any of these problems requires removing the package or replacing it with a different source, possibly with other problems.

The task
  1. Check for each source package if it's free.
  2. Remove/replace nonfree packages.
  3. Remove/replace packages depending on them.
  4. Package the rest with appropriate sources.
Packages checked

=== texlive-core-2010.22154-1 ===

==== Problems ====

===== Generated files without source =====

Parabola source package doesn't contain sources for files generated e.g. by stripping comments from dtx files using docstrip. It's not considered acceptable in other free software projects. '''All packages checked have these sources on CTAN, it's just a problem of Arch/Parabola packaging.'''

  • 12many
  • amsmath
  • amstex
  • avantgar
  • babelbib
  • babel
  • bidi
  • binomexp
  • booktabs
  • bosisio
  • caption
  • ccfonts
  • colortbl
  • concmath
  • crop
  • cslatex
  • ctable
  • dvipdfmx-def
  • emp
  • eqnarray
  • eso-pic
  • euenc
  • euler
  • euro
    Requires distributing with source.
  • expl3
  • expressg
  • extpfeil
  • extsizes
  • faktor
  • fancyref
  • fancyvrb
  • feynmf
  • fix2col
  • fixlatvian
  • float
  • fontinst
  • fontspec
  • frontespizio
  • geometry
  • german
  • gmp
  • graphics
  • hyperref
  • ifluatex
  • index
  • ionumbers
  • itnumpar
  • kastrup
  • latex
  • layaureo
  • listings-ext
  • listings
  • lithuanian
  • luacode
  • luainputenc
  • luamplib
  • luaotfload
  • luasseq
  • luatexbase
  • luatextra
  • mathcomp
  • mattens
  • mdwtools
  • memoir
  • metalogo

===== No license =====

Or unnamed license not included in the package.

  • anysize
  • automata
  • bibleref-german
  • bibtex8
  • cmextra
  • cm-super
  • commath
  • concrete
  • context-gnuplot
  • context
  • csbulletin
  • csplain
  • cweb
  • dviincl
  • dvips
  • enctex
  • etex
  • euro-ce
  • eurofont
  • eurosym
  • extarrows
  • featpost
  • fontwrap
  • fp
  • frenchle
  • garrigues
  • genmisc
  • harvardkyoto
  • jknapltx
    Various incorrect names of GNU GPL version 2.
  • jmn
  • kalender
    Not English.
  • latexconfig
  • lmextra
  • lualibs
  • mafr
  • makeindex
  • marvosym
  • mathspec
  • metaobj

===== Missing files =====

LPPL requires including descriptions of changes and a reference to unmodified source if distributing package modified by e.g. removing some files. The easier way for us to avoid this problem would be to include the whole source.

  • ec
    Also includes files based on pl fonts which are currently probably nonfree.
  • lm

===== Not all files have license =====

  • arabxetex
  • bbcard
    One is public domain, one no license, two free.
  • cmap
  • fontools
  • germbib
  • glyphlist
  • gustlib

===== Possibly nonfree =====

  • charter
    In bchb8a.afm:
 Comment Copyright 1987-1990 as an unpublished work by Bitstream Inc., Cambridge, MA.
 Comment All rights reserved
 Comment Confidential and proprietary to Bitstream Inc.
 Comment Bitstream is a registered trademark of Bitstream Inc.
  • fontname
    Mostly lists of nonfree font names.

===== TFMs for nonfree fonts, nonfree AFMs =====

  • bookman
  • courier
  • helvetic
  • metapost

===== MeX license =====

Affected packages:

  • cc-pl
  • cs
    Includes files based on pl, also has files without licenses or just with copyright notices.
  • ec
  • mex

The following is stated in TeX macro packages there:

% This macro file belongs to the public domain
% under the conditions specified by the author of TeX:
%
%   ``Macro files like PLAIN.TEX should not be changed in any way,
%     except with respect to preloaded fonts,
%     unless the changes are authorized by the authors of the macros.''
%
%                                           Donald E. Knuth
%
% For details see MEXINFO.ENG or MEXINFO.POL.

It's clearly nonfree and different that what Knuth states in plain.tex:
% Unlimited copying and redistribution of this file are permitted as long
% as this file is not modified. Modifications are permitted, but only if
% the resulting file is not named plain.tex.

MEXINFO.ENG and MEXING.POL files are not included. CTAN has it in http://mirrors.ctan.org/language/polish/mex105.zip. This is the relevant fragment of MEXINFO.ENG:

Rules
=====

The MeX package belongs to the public domain.

The MeX package may only be distributed in unchanged and complete form
including the files MEXINFO.ENG and MEXINFO.POL.
All the files constituting the MeX package are listed in the chapters
``Files'' and ``PL Fonts'' below.

Anyone who distributes the MeX package must obey one of the following
rules:
     1. there is no charge for distribution
or   2. the payment for the distribution of one diskette
        is not greater than the price of this diskette;
        in this case the distributor must make clear
        that this is a handling fee, not a license fee or purchase fee.

This package is distributed with no warranty of any sort.
The authors accept no responsibility for the consequences of using this
software.

Each user must comply with all conditions specified by D. E. Knuth
regarding the use of TeX, METAFONT and related software.

(Not quoting the file lists, since we already don't include MEXINFO.ENG.)

Karl Berry wrote that he will talk to the authors about this license.

===== Will be free in next version =====

===== Public domain =====

In some jurisdictions works cannot be put into the public domain by authors, so checking if these packages were made there or if they include a free license is needed.

  • context-lettrine
  • context (only some files)
  • epsf
  • epsincl
  • frletter
  • hatching
  • latexmp
  • ltxmisc
  • metapost

===== BSD-style license, not included =====

  • context-filter
  • context-mathsets
  • context-vim

===== Missing uncommon free license text =====

Packages not including GPL, LGPL or LPPL are not listed here.

  • de-macro
    Academic Free License 2.1, free.

==== No problems ====

At least most of these don't include the license if it's GPL or LPPL. License compatibility wasn't checked. File renaming on modification requirement is not checked.

Some of these packages include hyphenation patterns or fonts without source, these files can be understood and modified, on their own, so they are free.

  • accfonts
  • aeguill
  • ae
  • amscls
  • amsfonts
  • beamer
  • bib-fr
  • bibleref-french
  • bibtex
  • blockdraw_mp
  • boldtensors
  • bpolynomial
  • bundledoc
  • carlisle
  • cite
  • cm
  • context-bnf
  • context-chromato
  • context-construction-plan
  • context-degrade
  • context-french
  • context-fullpage
  • context-lilypond
  • context-simplefonts
  • context-simpleslides
  • context-typearea
  • context-typescripts
  • dehyph-exptl
  • drv
  • dviasm
  • dvipsconfig
  • epstopdf
  • etex-pkg
  • eurosans
  • exteps
  • fancybox
  • fancyhdr
  • findhyph
  • fpl
  • fragmaster
  • germkorr
  • hyphenex
  • hyph-utf8
  • iftex
  • ifxetex
  • installfont
  • isomath
  • koma-script
  • latex2man
  • latexdiff
  • latex-fonts
  • latexmk
  • lua-alt-getopt
  • mathpazo
  • metafont
  • metago
  • metaplot
  • metauml

==== To check ====

mflogo.tar.xz
mfnfss.tar.xz
mfpic4ode.tar.xz
mfpic.tar.xz
mfware.tar.xz
mhequ.tar.xz
mh.tar.xz
microtype.tar.xz
misc.tar.xz
mkjobtexmf.tar.xz
mp3d.tar.xz
mpattern.tar.xz
mpgraphics.tar.xz
mptopdf.tar.xz
ms.tar.xz
multido.tar.xz
multiobjective.tar.xz
mwcls.tar.xz
natbib.tar.xz
nath.tar.xz
ncntrsbk.tar.xz
ntgclass.tar.xz
oberdiek.tar.xz
ordinalpt.tar.xz
ot-tableau.tar.xz
oubraces.tar.xz
palatino.tar.xz
parskip.tar.xz
path.tar.xz
pdfcrop.tar.xz
pdfjam.tar.xz
pdfpages.tar.xz
pdftex-def.tar.xz
pgf.tar.xz
philokalia.tar.xz
piechartmp.tar.xz
pkfix-helper.tar.xz
pkfix.tar.xz
plain.tar.xz
pl.tar.xz
polski.tar.xz
polyglossia.tar.xz
powerdot.tar.xz
proba.tar.xz
psfrag.tar.xz
pslatex.tar.xz
psnfss.tar.xz
pspicture.tar.xz
purifyeps.tar.xz
pxfonts.tar.xz
qpxqtx.tar.xz
rcs.tar.xz
realscripts.tar.xz
rec-thy.tar.xz
roex.tar.xz
rotating.tar.xz
rsfs.tar.xz
ruhyphen.tar.xz
r_und_s.tar.xz
sansmath.tar.xz
section.tar.xz
seminar.tar.xz
sepnum.tar.xz
setspace.tar.xz
shuffle.tar.xz
slideshow.tar.xz
spanish-mx.tar.xz
splines.tar.xz
statex2.tar.xz
statex.tar.xz
stmaryrd.tar.xz
sty2dtx.tar.xz
suanpan.tar.xz
subfig.tar.xz
subsupscripts.tar.xz
susy.tar.xz
syllogism.tar.xz
symbol.tar.xz
synproof.tar.xz
tablor.tar.xz
tabvar.tar.xz
tap.tar.xz
tdsfrmath.tar.xz
tensor.tar.xz
texcount.tar.xz
texdef.tar.xz
texdiff.tar.xz
texdirflatten.tar.xz
tex-ewd.tar.xz
tex-gyre.tar.xz
texinfo.tar.xz
texloganalyser.tar.xz
tex-ps.tar.xz
textcase.tar.xz
textpath.tar.xz
thmbox.tar.xz
threeddice.tar.xz
thumbpdf.tar.xz
times.tar.xz
tipa.tar.xz
tools.tar.xz
ttfutils.tar.xz
turnstile.tar.xz
txfonts.tar.xz
typehtml.tar.xz
ukrhyph.tar.xz
ulem.tar.xz
umlaute.tar.xz
underscore.tar.xz
unicode-math.tar.xz
unisugar.tar.xz
url.tar.xz
utf8mex.tar.xz
utopia.tar.xz
variations.tar.xz
venn.tar.xz
wasysym.tar.xz
wasy.tar.xz
xcolor.tar.xz
xecjk.tar.xz
xecolour.tar.xz
xecyr.tar.xz
xeindex.tar.xz
xepersian.tar.xz
xesearch.tar.xz
xetexconfig.tar.xz
xetex-def.tar.xz
xetexfontinfo.tar.xz
xetex-itrans.tar.xz
xetex-pstricks.tar.xz
xetex.tar.xz
xkeyval.tar.xz
xltxtra.tar.xz
xpackages.tar.xz
xunicode.tar.xz
yhmath.tar.xz
ytableau.tar.xz
zapfchan.tar.xz
zapfding.tar.xz

Packages to check
  • texlive-bibtexextra
  • texlive-bin
  • texlive-core
  • texlive-fontsextra
  • texlive-formatsextra
  • texlive-games
  • texlive-genericextra
  • texlive-htmlxml
  • texlive-humanities
  • texlive-langcjk
  • texlive-langcyrillic
  • texlive-langextra
  • texlive-langgreek
  • texlive-latexextra
  • texlive-music
  • texlive-pictures
  • texlive-plainextra
  • texlive-pstricks
  • texlive-publishers
  • texlive-science
Resources to check

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Talk:Features/TeXLiveLegalAudit


Subtasks

Bug #490: [texlive-core] ec fonts are nonfreenot-a-bug

Actions
Freedom Issue #969: [texlive-core] ec fonts needs repackaging instead of removingduplicate

Actions
Bug #2151: [texlive-formatsextra] missing filesinfo neededoaken-source

Actions
Freedom Issue #2695: Re-evaluate texlive-binin progressoaken-source

Actions
Freedom Issue #2698: Re-evaluate [texlive-core]in progressoaken-source

Actions
Freedom Issue #2699: Re-evaluate [texlive-latexextra]confirmedoaken-source

Actions
Freedom Issue #2700: Re-evaluate [texlive-fontsextra]confirmedoaken-source

Actions
Bug #2769: [texlive-core]: missing /usr/bin/mktexlsrfixedbill-auger

Actions
Bug #2905: dollar sign \$ doesn't work in parabola texlivefixedoaken-source

Actions
Bug #2937: texlive can't find some fonts during installationduplicateoaken-source

Actions
Bug #3164: [texlive-most]: error: command failed to execute correctlyinfo needed

Actions
Bug #3617: [texlive-core] PANIC: unprotected error in call to Lua API"confirmed

Actions

Related issues

Has duplicate Packages - Bug #3620: [texlive-fontsextra] Error occurs during installationduplicate

Actions
Has duplicate Packages - Bug #3619: [texlive-bin] Error occurs during installationduplicate

Actions
Has duplicate Packages - Bug #3618: [texlive-latexextra] Error occurs during installationduplicate

Actions

History

#1

Updated by Anonymous about 8 years ago

  • Related to Freedom Issue #969: [texlive-core] ec fonts needs repackaging instead of removing added
#2

Updated by Anonymous about 8 years ago

coadde opened a report about it to Arch

#3

Updated by soni about 6 years ago

Is this an issue still? I don't want to have nonfree software on my system without realising

#4

Updated by bill-auger about 5 years ago

  • Status changed from open to forwarded upstream

it does not seem to be making much progress upstream

#5

Updated by bill-auger almost 5 years ago

i just bumped the upstream BR

#6

Updated by theova about 4 years ago

I tried to update the texlive-* packages to the 2020 version. It takes me a long time to evaluate which changes were done in Parabola and why.
Once I figured this out, modifying the PKGBUILD for the new version was straight forward.

From https://www.tug.org/texlive/copying.html:

As a general statement, the TeX Live maintainers agree, within the shared purpose of working on TeX Live, with the general principles and philosophy of the free software movement.

Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, all the software in TeX Live meets the requirements of the Free Software Foundation's definition of free software, and the Debian Free Software Guidelines. In the rare cases of conflict, > we generally follow the FSF. Furthermore, the material in TeX Live should not require nonfree software to be useful.

So texlive is commited to freedom :-)

I try to re-evaluate texlive-* and document my findings the comming days. I will start new issues for the different packages and link them to this issue.
I will report findings about non-free parts in the texlive mailing list to let other users/distributions from it.

Then it is hopefully easier to update the PKGBUILDs in the future.

Help, thougths and questions are welcome!

#7

Updated by bill-auger almost 4 years ago

  • Related to deleted (Freedom Issue #969: [texlive-core] ec fonts needs repackaging instead of removing)
#8

Updated by bill-auger almost 3 years ago

  • Related to Bug #2151: [texlive-formatsextra] missing files added
#9

Updated by bill-auger almost 3 years ago

  • Related to Bug #2905: dollar sign \$ doesn't work in parabola texlive added
#10

Updated by bill-auger almost 3 years ago

  • Related to Bug #2937: texlive can't find some fonts during installation added
#11

Updated by bill-auger almost 3 years ago

  • Related to deleted (Bug #2151: [texlive-formatsextra] missing files)
#12

Updated by bill-auger almost 3 years ago

  • Related to deleted (Bug #2905: dollar sign \$ doesn't work in parabola texlive)
#13

Updated by bill-auger almost 3 years ago

  • Related to deleted (Bug #2937: texlive can't find some fonts during installation)
#14

Updated by gap about 2 years ago

What is the current status of the freedom verification?
I consider TeXLive extremely important and useful, and I'm sure we all don't want nonfree files hiding within it.

Due to the age of this issue, I suspect the audits done will be outdated now.
Is TeXLive overdue another freedom audit?

#15

Updated by bill-auger 11 months ago

there was some movement in arch this week - im not so familiar with this issue; so dunno how many or if any freedom issues it solved though

related:
https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/48683
https://wiki.parabola.nu/TeXLive_freedom_verification

#16

Updated by nona 11 months ago

They closed it by:

Closed by  Antonio Rojas (arojas)
Monday, 29 May 2023, 13:02 GMT
Reason for closing:  None
Additional comments about closing:  We no longer use custom tarballs and get the source directly from tug svn

comparing that to the title

generated files without source, not all files have license, missing files, etc 

to me, it translates to: whatever is wrong, it's no longer in the packaging.

Also related: https://labs.parabola.nu/issues/2698

#17

Updated by bill-auger 10 months ago

a subtle twist: according with upstream re-organization of the code-base,

the new `texlive-basic` replaces the old `texlive-core`, many of the texlive-core contents (including language specific files) are now split between different packages.

https://archlinux.org/news/tex-live-package-reorganization/

#18

Updated by bill-auger 29 days ago

  • Has duplicate Bug #3620: [texlive-fontsextra] Error occurs during installation added
#19

Updated by bill-auger 29 days ago

  • Has duplicate Bug #3619: [texlive-bin] Error occurs during installation added
#20

Updated by bill-auger 29 days ago

  • Has duplicate Bug #3618: [texlive-latexextra] Error occurs during installation added
#21

Updated by bill-auger 29 days ago

  • Has duplicate Bug #3617: [texlive-core] PANIC: unprotected error in call to Lua API" added
#22

Updated by nona 29 days ago

Following from https://labs.parabola.nu/issues/3617, texdoc failed for me with a similar error. (It is not completely harmless.) I was able to open the pdf provided by the package, but I will test with something else tonight.

#23

Updated by bill-auger 28 days ago

  • Has duplicate deleted (Bug #3617: [texlive-core] PANIC: unprotected error in call to Lua API")

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