Or we could distribute both and hope that the resultant time/anti-time explosion is such that the universe is destroyed and we never have to bother worrying about such pointless, unproductive, made-up bullshit again in our lifetimes.... On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 10:34 AM, Jim Pryor <lists+arch-general@jimpryor.net<lists%2Barch-general@jimpryor.net>
wrote:
Wow, this thread got very hot very fast. I composed this about an hour ago, when things were much cooler. But the questions still seem worth raising.
I understand Joerg's frustration about the burden of proof issue here, and I also understand Allan's and Phrakture's reluctance, in the light of our not having more solid evidence from disinterested parties. Apparently Joerg has seen more such evidence, but is not in a position to provide it. That's unfortunate, but understandable.
People are getting alternately enthusiastic, and frustrated, and annoyed with each other, but that seems to be about where this stands.
Aren't there two questions here, though?
1. Should we distribute binaries of cdrtools? 2. Should we distribute binaries of cdrkit?
Setting 1 aside for the moment, it sounds to me---not based wholly on this thread, but this thread exhausts my recent reading on the issue---like there are possible legal issues with 2, and in fact it sounds to me like the case for that is rather stronger than the case for there being legal issues with 1. That impression survives even if the case against cdrkit does all trace back to claims made by Joerg---which I don't know to be so but which has been alleged here.
There are technical reasons for thinking cdrtools is much preferable to cdrkit; however that leaves it open whether cdrkit is or isn't good enough for the needs that prompt us to distribute a binary of either of these packages.
As I said I do understand the reasons given for hesitating about cdrtools. But it sounds to me like cdrkit survives equally careful scrutiny less well.
So why isn't the decision tree:
be most cautious legally, and distribute neither
be moderately cautious legally, in which case although it's not obvious cdrtools is in the clear, the case against cdrkit seems stronger, so if one is to be distributed it should be cdrtools
trust other distros, and decide we're clear to distribute either, in which case the technical merits again speak for cdrtools.
-- Jim Pryor jim@jimpryor.net