[arch-general] An old, tiresome discussion: cdrtools vs cdrkit

[Jim Pryor]

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 at jimpryor.net