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Author Topic: An option for autodownload only free stuff  (Read 12545 times)
G One
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« on: November 14, 2012, 03:32:33 AM »

In future versions, an option for autodownload only free stuff ( https://libregamewiki.org/Free_media_license ) would be good; a mechanism to check license and wich dispaly a warning if license is missing or block propietary stuff.
Is this feasible?
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Gig
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« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2012, 05:44:24 AM »

There are many "free licenses"
Some are listed here:
https://libregamewiki.org/Category:Free_source_code_licenses
but there are more (e.g. CC-BY-SA, GFDL, CC-Zero)...

Let me try to imagine what you want... It's just IMHO.
One should first create a list of all the licenses the game should allow... and this would be the easy part...
Then one should create a standard for creating a file (txt or similar), to be included into each pk3, that would contain a "file-license" association list for every other file included in that pk3 (or a single line, with the license for the whole PK3? In that case, who creates the pk3 would not need to compile the detailed list for every file, but would instead need to split the files into multiple pk3s, if they have different licenses). Then, the server should check if the client and/or the server enabled some "free pk3 only, please" variable, and inhibit autodownloading if a certain pk3 does contain some files that are not referenced in the list, or that are referenced but with a license name that is not allowed.
Extra: an additional command to analyze the pk3s (reading the licensing files) and tell apart those with all-free stuff and those who do not comply (possibliy indicating the problem), would be useful for server admins.

This is only my idea about how a such thing may work... in any case, it would require some work to be implemented, and work from those who create pk3s (OA developers, mod creators and sometimes server admins).... and would not be applicable for anything using old versions, for existing mods, maps, etc (we should decide what to do when the pk3 does not contain the license info file at all... Always download? Never download?).

I fear it may be impractical...
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G One
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« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2012, 06:56:23 AM »

I think that your idea is good and ,unlike you, i think that could be applied to OA.
Devs must add an option for select if donwload only free licensed stuff and servers must check if clients have this option enabled.
Pk3 with missing license must be not allowed because if you accept to download only FREE stuff, license must be clear.
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Neon_Knight
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« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2012, 08:55:23 AM »

A repository of FSF maps admin'd by someone who takes free stuff seriously, (á la Fromhell Tongue) and the game connecting to it to get what it wants might be the solution.

The question is... who's willing?
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« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2012, 09:49:23 AM »

A repository of FSF maps admin'd by someone who takes free stuff seriously, (รก la Fromhell Tongue) and the game connecting to it to get what it wants might be the solution.

The question is... who's willing?

This is also a possible solution (or, why not? additional to the previous idea).
The possibility to download (voluntarily or also with auto download if you join a server that uses these maps) only 100% free maps from a dedicated repository with the OA client.
This will encourage the diffusion of libre maps and the culture of release free maps that respect free software like OA.
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fromhell
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« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2012, 02:38:24 PM »

It'd also need a list of checksums maintained server-side somehow.
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G One
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« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2012, 01:42:56 AM »

Hi fromhell, what do you think about this idea? do you like it?
There is some possibility to see this in some next release?
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grey matter
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« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2012, 12:00:28 PM »

Where do you want to maintain the pk3 database?
Any malicious server could just ignore a client-setting and send non-free content anyways. The client on the other hand either has to trust the server on file checksums or download and checksum the file and then deny loading it into the game.

Gig's idea does not really work with already existing pk3 files (think of Quake 3 maps), since they do not have the proper files included.

To me the idea seems like too much work to be implemented. If you do not want non-free content, either
  • manually inspect and delete it
  • only play on trusted servers*

* iirc the ROFL servers from tuxfamily only use free content.
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G One
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« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2012, 03:03:31 AM »

Ok ok..... if this feature can't be implemented i will use always just official maps and i will deny always autodownload.
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Gig
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« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2012, 07:13:11 AM »

Any malicious server could just ignore a client-setting and send non-free content anyways. The client on the other hand either has to trust the server on file checksums or download and checksum the file and then deny loading it into the game.
Also if the server would be evily modified to sent everything anyway, one may add the check also in the client, that would download the package, and then discard it if reports missing or incomplete license infos.
Anyway, someone with "malicious" intents (who may want to do that? Someone who wants you to download that package against your will... maybe to be sure his mod will work? I don't know.) would not need to modify server binaries to send you his "evil" package anyway... simply writing false informations into the licensing file would be enough.
I don't know how likely is this to happen or not.

Quote
Gig's idea does not really work with already existing pk3 files (think of Quake 3 maps), since they do not have the proper files included.
Yes, we already said that (this is the main reason I would not enable a such thing by default. Otherwise, maybe it may even fall under DO NOT LINK[/b]) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/NOTTODO]NOTTODO, as an obstacle for Q3 mod compatibility, which is a main goal for OA).

However, I don't know how much this feature that would be actually used:
- Many people do not take in account copyright issues too seriously (maybe this is not good, but it is)... how many will enable it?
- Home-made mods and maps usually, also if not open source, are meant to be used by everyone at no charge. So you are doing nothing bad playing them. I'm unsure about the legal status of such things.
- It would prevent players from connecting to many servers, or would make servers much less "varied" if limited to use such stuff only.
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G One
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« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2012, 01:58:51 AM »

However, I don't know how much this feature that would be actually used:
- Many people do not take in account copyright issues too seriously (maybe this is not good, but it is)... how many will enable it?

All the free software advocates

- It would prevent players from connecting to many servers, or would make servers much less "varied" if limited to use such stuff only.

It's a matter of freedom, we should be able to choose.
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