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Question about AUR etiquette (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 11 months ago by saucecat@sh.itjust.works to c/archlinux@lemmy.ml

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Hello, new Arch user here. Hoping someone can clarify the proper etiquette around submitting packages to the AUR.

I've written my own PKGBUILD for building and packaging someone else's project, mainly just for personal use. If I decide I want to submit this package to the AUR, is it typically expected that I get permission from the primary project maintainer first? Furthermore, does submitting my PKGBUILD to the AUR obligate me to continue to maintain the package going forward?

The project is this, a small Wayland desktop clock utility. https://git.sr.ht/~leon_plickat/wlclock

It is licensed under the GPLv3, and is not currently in the AUR. (However there is an older, unmaintained version, under a different maintainer and repo.) https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/wlclock-git

Thank you for any advice! :)

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[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 18 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It is licensed under the GPLv3, and is not currently in the AUR. (However there is an older, unmaintained version, under a different maintainer and repo.) https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/wlclock-git

In that case you probably want to request to take over the existing package.

No need for approval from upstream as the GPL freely allows redistribution.

[–] nous@programming.dev 8 points 11 months ago

Except the AUR does not normally count as redistribution. It distributes package automation scripts and patches. The source/binary is typically download by the user from the official distributor when they build the package. Some packages do include source/the binary, but most do not.

Distributing the built package might cause issues for some licenses though (not the GPL though).

[–] exu@feditown.com 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

A takeover is only needed if it's also a -git package. Any other "type" is fine, but mark the packages as conflicting.

Edit: also keep in mind that -git packages don't need to be updated unless they're broken

[–] I_Am_Jacks_____@lemmings.world 12 points 11 months ago

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/AUR_submission_guidelines

[–] Lemmy@iusearchlinux.fyi 1 points 11 months ago

You can request to take over the existing package if it's broken (-git packages tend to pull the latest version, so don't fix it if it isn't broken).

You are not expected to maintain it forever. However you should make it a -git package if you do not intend to update it on every upstream release, so it stays up to date without changes to the PKGBUILD.