path: root/english/News/weekly/2001/25/index.wml

#use wml::debian::weeklynews::header PUBDATE="2001-10-09" SUMMARY="DDP, DDTS, Database packages, Lists, Licenses"
# $ Id: $

<p><strong>DDP Needs You!</strong> The <a
href="$(HOME)/doc/ddp">Debian Documentation Project</a> was
formed to coordinate and unify all efforts to write more and better
documentation for the Debian system.  It contains quite a lot documents,
ranging from a <a href="$(HOME)/doc/manuals/debian-faq/">FAQ</a>, several <a
href="$(HOME)/doc/user-manuals">users manuals</a>, some <a
href="$(HOME)/doc/user-manuals">administration</a> and <a
href="$(HOME)/doc/manuals/network-administrator/">network
manuals</a> concluding with the <a
href="$(HOME)/doc/manuals/securing-debian-howto/">Securing
Debian Manual</a> which we mentioned in our last issue.  Only a few of these
documents are maintained properly, most of them are in an unfinished state
which doesn't render them quite useful.  Writing documentation has always been
a pain for software developers, but it is a very important task.  Volunteers
should select a manual they want to work on and find out how to access its
recent source using <a href="$(HOME)/doc/cvs">cvs</a>, then
contact our <a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-doc/">debian-doc</a>
list.</p>

<p><strong>No DDTS Mails Anymore.</strong> Some weeks ago the <a
href="http://auric.debian.org/~grisu/ddtp/">Debian Description Translation
Server</a> which controls the translation effort of packages descriptions
started sending out automatic notification mails to all maintainers whose
package description were initially translated or when a translation was
modified.  This resulted in some confusion because the mail didn't tell
maintainers what to do with the translation and all affected maintainers got
these mails, regardless of them wanting to receive such mails nor not.  The
situation has <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote-0110/msg00000.html">escalated</a>.
However, the problem seems to be resolved now, since no automatic mails will
be sent out by the DDTS anymore.  In the future maintainers will
eventually be able to subscribe to such mails, but the default will be: no
automatic notification.  Latest news: <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce-0110/msg00003.html">improved
server</a> with subscribe mechanism.</p>

<p><strong>HTML from DocBook XML.</strong> Wolfgang Bogert writes with
a <a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-sgml-0110/msg00000.html">\
summary</a> of the help he's received for putting together HTML
documents from a DocBook XML document.</p>

<p><strong>Packaging and Database Access.</strong> A <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0110/msg00214.html">question</a>
came up on the <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/">debian-devel</a> list with
regards to php and databases, wondering how things should be packaged if the
package requires access to a database.  This raises two questions, first of
all, how should the system be packaged, should databases and access
automatically created?  The second issue covers running systems on which such
a database may contain confidential information.  Since PHP is running as
www-data for all users and virtual hosts, this effectively opens all databases
to any user who can include PHP in their web pages.</p>

<p><strong>New List Debian-Books.</strong> Ben Collins <a
href="http://bugs.debian.org/114248">requested</a> a new mailing list called
&ldquo;<a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-books/">debian-books</a>&rdquo; in order to
isolate discussions of proposed book titles.  The list is open for anybody
interested and could eventually be used for rough draft review and editing as
well.  The Debian distribution is popular enough to have <a
href="$(DOC)/books">books</a> written about it already.
As a sidenote, <a href="http://opencbp.sourceforge.net">The Open C Book
Project</a> has just been started, after a <a
href="http://www.infodrom.org/Mail-Archive/misc/2001/0011.html">request</a>
for volunteers was sent.</p>

<p><strong>Cleaning up the Lists.</strong> Joey <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce-0110/msg00002.html">\
investigated</a> the use of our mailing lists for the last three weeks, that
are served by <a href="http://lists.debian.org/">lists.debian.org</a>.  He
came up with a list of mailing lists proposed for removal.  Some of them were
previously moved to a different server without our listmaster noticing.  Among
the other lists are several -changes lists which didn't serve any content, or
lists for expired sub-projects like debian-freshmeat or <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-pool/">debian-pool</a>.</p>

<p><strong>On Using "Open Source".</strong> There have been controversies if using
the term "Open Source" rather than "Free Software" is a good thing or not.
The <a href="http://www.fsf.org/">Free Software Foundation</a> (FSF) made
their  <a
href="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html">position</a>
clear in 1998 already.  The Open Source term was <a
href="http://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/resolutions/resolution-2001-04-26.nl.html">\
established</a> as a marketing term for free software (also in 1998) and was
quickly adopted by many companies.  It makes a big difference which name we
use: different words convey different ideas.  As an example Dale Scheetz <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0109/msg01732.html">reported</a> a
use of the term to refer to intelligence information that could be made
public.  I (Joey) truly expect the FSF to start a new campaign for companies
to use the term "Free Software" instead.</p>

<p><strong>Fixing the SDL Mess.</strong> Branden Robinson posted his <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-0110/msg00353.html">intent</a> to
fix the problem that has arisen with shared SDL and static X libraries.  Some
of the X extension libraries are available only as static libraries, since
their interfaces are subject to change and they are not standardized yet.  On
about half the architectures in Debian (hppa, ia64, m68k, mips, mipsel, and
powerpc), it is not legal to link static objects into shared ones.  The linker
will bomb at compile time if you attempt to do so.  However, this is what is
packages that depend on the SDL libraries do, making them unbuildable on
certain architectures.  Read Branden's mail for details.</p>

<p><strong>Undistributable by License.</strong> Again we have been hit by a <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal-0110/msg00004.html">license
incompatibility</a>.  This time it has happened to our <a
href="http://packages.debian.org/tomcat">Tomcat packages</a>, which uses the
Apache License upstream, while the Debian maintainer has formerly used the GPL
for his own patches.  According to the FSF both licenses are <a
href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#GPLIncompatibleLicenses">\
incompatible</a>.  This issue is resolved already, but we'd like to mention it
so people are aware of license problems.</p>

<p><strong>Installing Debian on RiscPC.</strong> It <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm-0108/msg00063.html">came up</a> a
long time ago, that our installation manual didn't properly mention how to
install Debian GNU/Linux on an ARM RiscPC.  The discussion <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm-0108/msg00082.html">revealed</a>
that the linloader <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm-0110/msg00010.html">license</a>
prohibits its inclusion in Debian and the author <a
href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm-0110/msg00006.html">has not
shown</a> an interest in changing this.</p>

<p><strong>Debian Expo and Conference Week in Germany.</strong> The upcoming
week and this weekend will be important for German Debian enthusiasts.
There are three exhibitions and conferences taking place: <a
href="$(HOME)/events/2001/1011-wizardofos">Wizard of OS</a>
(Berlin, October 11-13), <a
href="$(HOME)/events/2001/1013-linuxweekend">Linux Weekend</a>
(Kassel, October 13-14) and <a
href="$(HOME)/events/2001/1015-systems">Systems 2001</a>
(Munich, October 15-19).  The Debian project will be present at all of them.
Use this chance to get in touch with Debian developers.</p>

<p><strong>New and Updated Packages.</strong> There are some nifty new
and updated packages available in unstable and testing this week:
</p>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/net/ipsc">ipsc</a>
    -- A wonderful tool, helps calculate subnet addresses at the console, also
    <a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/net/gipsc">gipsc</a>
    a subnet calculator for X.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/misc/ethtool">ethtool</a>
    -- View and change Ethernet settings.
<li><a href="http://packages.debian.org/unstable/interpreters/libsquirrelmail-spamcop">\
    libsquirrelmail-spamcop</a> -- A SquirrelMail plugin for identifying 
    and reporting evil spammers. (Are there any other kind?)
</ul>

<p><strong>Security.</strong> No security announcements relating to Debian
were made in the last week.</p>

<p><strong>Speak up!</strong> If you've got a tip, comment, announcement
or other important information, please send it to 
<a href="mailto:dwn@debian.org">dwn@debian.org</a></p>

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