Debian package outdated?

[Jim Holland]

On Thu, 31 Aug 2006, Matthias Klose wrote:

> > Glenn Steen wrote:
> > 
> > > quite a bit, version-wise. Jules has a debian package on his pages,
> > > but i think you need dpkg it... Or can one set that as a separate apt
> > > repository?
> > 
> > Since we're talking about versions here, why is the Debian package only 
> > at 4.51.5-1 (link on mailscanner site is pointing to Debian unstable)? 
> > There are many versions released after this one.
> 
> I have a recent package, but I don't know if it still makes sense to
> provide the package in Debian.  The recent releases don't ship any
> documentation.  Even the manual pages are dropped.  Checked on the
> website, which documentation could be included:
> 
>  - the online documentation doesn't have any copyright statements.
>    In this way it's not distributable by Debian.  Please point me
>    to the copyright(s), if I'm wrong.
> 
>  - the online html documentation currently isn't really nice to
>    distribute, including all the advertising on every page.
> 
>  - The MailScanner-Manual-Version-1.0.5.pdf (which I currently cannot
>    find on the website anymore) has a copyright, which doesn't allow
>    distribution of MailScanner as free documentation.
> 
> So we are down to a piece of software which Debian can only ship
> without documentation.  I'm not sure if that makes sense.  MailScanner
> itself may be still free software, but much of that status is lost
> without free documentation.  Julien, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I would be very interested in seeing a Debian package for MailScanner, but
given the rate of development of MailScanner it imposes a large burden on
you to keep updating the Debian package so that it also remains current.  
And that is still subject to the software being able to meet all Debian's
requirements for being an official package.

As an alternative, involving less work for you, why not simply recommend
that Debian users install from the tarball (so they can always keep up to
date), but provide some basic instructions on customising the installation 
for Debian?

Regards

Jim Holland
System Administrator
MANGO - Zimbabwe's non-profit e-mail service