RE: hard linking libboost copyright files

Hi, 

The question is once we install the libboost .deb packages into a system, the copyright file for each libboost package is stored separately in /usr/shared/doc/packages folder. These copyright files are all the same. I'm think of hardlinking these copyright files so that we same some memory. Is this legally allowed. 

Regards
Yaaseen

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Langasek <[email protected]> 
Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 3:07 PM
To: Muhammad Yaaseen <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: hard linking libboost copyright files

On Sun, Feb 04, 2024 at 05:38:57AM +0000, Muhammad Yaaseen wrote:

> we see that the copyright for libboost debian packages are 2MB each 
> and are all the same.  as per 
> https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-docs.html section 
> 12.5<https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-docs.html%20section%2
> 012.5> we are not allowed to create symbolic links.  the doubt I have 
> is whether I can hardlink these files and reduce the memory 
> utilization.

This isn't really a legal question; as a practical matter, it is not possible to ship cross-package hardlinks in .deb packages.

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                   https://www.debian.org/
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