Re: Effectively force all GNOME users to locally compile ZFS?

[zimoun <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com>]

Hi Denis,

On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 at 02:33, Denis 'GNUtoo' Carikli <GNUtoo@cyberdimension.org> wrote:

>> That's not the general consensus at all
> On what part precisely is there no consensus?

Consensus about distributing ZFS as source code but not as binary.

As the comment says, IIUC:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
    (arguments
     `(;; The ZFS kernel module should not be downloaded since the license
       ;; terms don't allow for distributing it, only building it locally.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

<https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/gnu/packages/file-systems.scm#n1184>


> Summary:
> --------
> You can't combine work under incompatible free software licenses in a
> combined or derived work, and if you want to do that you need either
> work to be re-licensed under compatible free software licenses (like
> GPLv2 with an exception), but to do that you need to own the copyright
> on that work.

A complete analysis [1] of the situation is exposed by Software Freedom
Conservancy.  As pointed [2] by Florian, this discussion about ZFS
license had been recently opened, again.  And closed [3]. :-)

(When reviewing the still pending contribution for adding ZFS service)

For what my opinion is worth, first this case has never been pleaded in
Court, so it is impossible to claim a clear line for this grey area.  It
is only speculation on what could perhaps happen in Court; even more
precisely in US Court – I am not convinced these arguments hold
similarly in European Courts or elsewhere; another story.  Second, I am
not qualified to interpret what lawyers write, I mean jokingly, « I
think any perceived ‘legal’ issues are a distraction » – quoting Tobias
[4]. ;-)

Thanks for sharing your concerns.  I am not sure to share them but
indeed it could probably be worth to ask FSF or SFC or <name-it> lawyers
a clear question on this case and get a clear answer.

1: <https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2016/feb/25/zfs-and-linux/>
2: <https://issues.guix.gnu.org/45692#43>
3: <https://issues.guix.gnu.org/45692#57>
4: <https://yhetil.org/guix/878s2iiae1.fsf@nckx/>


Cheers,
simon