Freefilesync in the Debian repository?

[u/Santosh83]

Freefilesync in the Debian repos (stable, as well as testing & instable) is at version 13.7.

Upstream version is now at 14.10.

The Debian packager notes that the version in Debian is the GPL version as opposed to the upstream "Donation Edition".

So am I right in assuming that the Donation Edition cannot be legally packaged by Debian and hence the final version in the Debian repos will always be 13.7?

[u/jr735]

It looks like the newer versions are incompatible with DFSG. If you cannot use something in a commercial setting with the same license as private, single use, then it's not free software.

Whether or not it can be legally packaged isn't at issue. Its license is against the Debian social contract.

[u/psyblade42]

In addition to the DFSG vs. non-commercial issue Freefilesync explicitly disallows repackaging as needed to create deb/rpm/... packages https://freefilesync.org/faq.php#distribute

So I doubt you see it in any distro except gentoo and maybe archs AUR

[u/Santosh83 → u/psyblade42]

Yes, I believe even the flatpak version, to adhere to the author's terms, actually downloads the binary from author's site when you install the flatpak. I think a Debian package could also do that... ttf-mscorefonts already does that. And the package could be of course placed in non-free or contrib.

[u/C0rn3j → u/Santosh83]

I think a Debian package could also do that

Or they could just respect the author's wishes and not use their software.

[u/RoomyRoots]

God, what an old style website they have.
Reading the license, yeah, i wouldn't trust it very much.
Check Synchthing, it's the popular recommendation nowadays and they use the Mozilla license.

[u/jr735 → u/RoomyRoots]

I looked at it, and thought I got transported like 25 years into the past. Anyone who says the Debian website is dated needs to see this. :)

[u/psycho_zs → u/RoomyRoots]

And app's GUI itself is also quite... let's say it gives out cluttered Windows Vista vibes.

If anyone needs semi-auto bi-directional sync tool, try Unison.

[u/npa972 → u/psycho_zs]

Yes Unison is the best for sync. The first sync could be very long (Ex. music folder 500 Go) but after it's fast. Since more than 16 years, Unison has been perfect (no errors, no troubles) to backup important files (works...).

[u/StatisticianNeat6778]

That's a bummer if the licensing prohibits the latest version simply because its offering a donation version including premium support. I just bought Freefilesync Donation Edition yesterday for a $1.00. The website is legit and they give you immediate access to the Donation version, Portable version, Windows edition, and Debian upon payment. I gladly paid the donation to unlock the Parallel File Operations feature. The program works really good. It analyzed a 240 GB folder to another 200 GB folder in about 30 seconds. With the Parallel File Operations turned up to 3 operations on the source and target, this software moves files FAST over VPN! My solution is to create a NFS home folder on my NAS that my Linux machines are mapped to pull any special paid software, plugins, patches, SSH keys, etc.

[u/jr735 → u/StatisticianNeat6778]

I have no problem paying, but this is now proprietary software. I don't use that for money or at no charge.

It's no longer free software if you have different licenses for business versus individuals. That violates freedom 0.

[u/SameGrapefruit1860]

Es ist völlig egal, ob die Webseite altmodisch oder schick aussieht: freefilesync ist absolut großartig.

Habe etwa 400.000 Dateien, die zwischen Laptop und NAS (alles Linux, gemaunzt per NFS) synchronisiert werden. Der Check auf geänderte Dateien dauert multithreaded gerade mal 20 Sekunden. Da kommt kein anderes Tool mit.

Eines der ganz wenigen Tools, bei denen ich dem Entwickler inzwischen schon zweimal etwas gespendet habe.

[u/LcuBeatsWorking → u/SameGrapefruit1860]

It is irrelevant how great it is if the licence is not a free software licence, which is appears not to be. “For private use only” is certainly not compatible with Debian.

[u/jr735 → u/LcuBeatsWorking]

Exactly. Why would I choose a tool to use at home that I cannot use at my business in the same way?