OpenBSD Removes qmail and djbdns From Ports Tree

KingArtr writes: "qmail and djbdns have been dropped from the OpenBSD ports tree. According to the message from Theo de Raadt at the OpenBSD Ports Archive its because the license does not permit modification.". Update by nik: Note that NetBSD and FreeBSD continue to include qmail in their ports trees. DJB's license forbids redistribution of modified binaries, but does not forbid distribution of a 'framework' for modifying the source code.

Comments

Clarify, then the whirlwind

[Anonymous Coward]

So Theo tries to go through a "license audit" notices that qmail and djbdns have licenses that conflict with the OBSD "way" and after emailing djb, pulls them out of the ports tree. All the world is harmonious for a moment, then WHAM! everybody has an opinion, jumps in, flames and counter-flames, name-calling, and on. I'll keep using OBSD for my critical stuff, just like I have for the last 3 years. I have all the releases on CD, and keep buying them to keep it coming.

What is so interesting is the amount of energy expended over a non-issue. Of course slashdotters will weigh in with their opinions which count for nothing, since they have neither coded or used OpenBSD. I had a RedHat Linux rooted before the company firewall, now my @home cable modem is firewalled by a stock OBSD, and it just keeps running.

In case you think I pontificate, I use OBSD to run a 10,000 host domain, with an OC-3 to the Internet which sees probes/scans every day. Code Red II probes at about 1000 per minute.

Do you ever notice that most of the BSD posts are centered around "personality" issues. In all the time I have had OBSD servers, I have never had one offend me, but then again, how can an inanimate object evoke emotions?

[SYS-MSG]an iceberg was just dectected near Antartica

Kudos to Theo for sticking by his guns

[bee]

Looks like djb doesn't want to play by Theo's rules. No matter, that's his choice. But Theo chose what he wanted for OpenBSD a long time ago, and if djb doesn't like that, then that's his problem. Personally, I agree with Theo on many points: /usr/ports should stick to /usr/local for where they write stuff (I've never liked the whole damn /opt idea that Solaris popularized), and for pity's sake, anyone that thinks their software is important enough that it needs its own directory off / needs a serious ego-deflating! For all that people critisize RMS and his ego, all of the GNU tools are very well-behaved in that department. Would that others were equally as nice.