[maemo-developers] Identifying free/non-free apps (was Re: ... and QA of closed source applications?)

[From: Jeremiah Foster]

On May 6, 2009, at 17:47, Quim Gil wrote:

> Hi,
>
> ext Attila Csipa wrote:
>
>> To make things worse, the
>> application manager does not display the repository, much less the  
>> component
>> an application belongs to.
>
> Indeed, more information could be probably put in the "Application
> details" --> "Summary e.g. the repository branch and there you could  
> see
> whether it's free or non-free. Do you mind filing an enhancement  
> request?

I am happy to do this if you don't want to Attila.
>
> I don't see too much the point of saying anything in the main list of
> applications. Most users don't care and are not even aware of the free
> vs gratis question. Listing "free" and "non-free" would make  most  
> users
> think non-free = paid.

Then we really ought to specify two domains, Nokia and Community.  
Inside the Community domain we can specify whether an app is closed or  
open source. This way there is no misunderstanding, everything in the  
repos is free as in beer just some things are open source and some  
things are not. However we want to implement that is fine, but I think  
the free / non-free distinction and its clumping together in the AM  
has to change, its just too confusing.

May I submit for your critique:

/repository.maemo.org/extras/name/open/
/repository.maemo.org/extras/name/open/testing/
/repository.maemo.org/extras/name/open/new/

/repository.maemo.org/extras/name/closed/
/repository.maemo.org/extras/name/closed/testing
/repository.maemo.org/extras/name/closed/new/

Where the application travels up the tree from /new -> /testing -> /

This way, someone can look at the repo name and know _exactly_ what  
version name, what type of license and the relative stability of the  
package.

>> Even if it would, if you install an application
>> directly from maemo.org, you will likely get a
>>
>> [extras]
>> name = maemo Extras
>> uri = http://repository.maemo.org/extras/
>> components = free non-free
>>
>> stanza automatically from .install. Now, provided you even know about
>> free/non-free components, you would have to go to the application  
>> manager ->
>> tools -> catalogues -> pick extras -> edit and then know what free  
>> and
>> non-free actually means in that context and how to edit them. I  
>> don't think
>> it's trivial for newbies at all. Making this a higher (repository  
>> level)
>> choice IMHO makes it a lot clearer.
>
> I agree this is not trivial to newbies. However, I wonder how many  
> Maemo
> newbies are concerned by this. If you are concerned, you are probably
> not a newbie. And even if you are concerned, I wonder what would be  
> the
> % of Maemo users that actually would not give a try to an interesting
> gratis application because of the license.

The distinction between free and non-free has to be made clear to the  
end user so they have the necessary information to decide what they  
want to download. Right now, it is unclear.

Jeremiah