What I Learned while rewriting the d/copyright file for rsync

Speaker: Matheus Polkorny

Track: Packaging, policy, and Debian infrastructure

Type: Short talk (20 minutes)

Maintaining the debian/copyright file for a large package like rsync might seem straightforward at first, but in practice, it involves technical decisions, legal awareness, and a solid understanding of Debian’s packaging tools and policies.

In this talk, I’ll share the key lessons I learned while reviewing and updating the d/copyright file for rsync, a package with multiple contributors, and various licenses. I’ll cover the challenges I faced, the tools I used (like licensecheck, debmake, etc.), and common questions that arise: how to deal with files missing license headers, what to do when license conflicts appear, and how to ensure compliance with DEP-5.

This talk is aimed at both new and experienced maintainers who want to better understand how to approach copyright files efficiently, collaboratively, and in a way that benefits the Debian community as a whole.