FreeBSD Porter's Handbook
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# 6.2 Ports with distribution restrictions

Licenses vary, and some of them place restrictions on how the application can be packaged, whether it can be sold for profit, and so on.

> Important: It is your responsibility as a porter to read the licensing terms of the software and make sure that the FreeBSD project will not be held accountable for violating them by redistributing the source or compiled binaries either via FTP/HTTP or CD-ROM. If in doubt, please contact the FreeBSD ports mailing list.

In situations like this, the variables described in the following sections can be set.

## 6.2.1 `NO_PACKAGE`

This variable indicates that we may not generate a binary package of the application. For instance, the license may disallow binary redistribution, or it may prohibit distribution of packages created from patched sources.

However, the port's `DISTFILES` may be freely mirrored on FTP/HTTP. They may also be distributed on a CD-ROM (or similar media) unless `NO_CDROM` is set as well.

`NO_PACKAGE` should also be used if the binary package is not generally useful, and the application should always be compiled from the source code. For example, if the application has configuration information that is site specific hard coded in to it at compile time, set `NO_PACKAGE`.

`NO_PACKAGE` should be set to a string describing the reason why the package should not be generated.

## 6.2.2 `NO_CDROM`

This variable alone indicates that, although we are allowed to generate binary packages, we may put neither those packages nor the port's `DISTFILES` onto a CD-ROM (or similar media) for resale. However, the binary packages and the port's `DISTFILES` will still be available via FTP/HTTP.

If this variable is set along with `NO_PACKAGE`, then only the port's `DISTFILES` will be available, and only via FTP/HTTP.

`NO_CDROM` should be set to a string describing the reason why the port cannot be redistributed on CD-ROM. For instance, this should be used if the port's license is for ``non-commercial'' use only.

## 6.2.3 `NOFETCHFILES`

Files defined in the `NOFETCHFILES` variable are not fetchable from any of the `MASTER_SITES`. An example of such a file is when the file is supplied on CD-ROM by the vendor.

Tools which check for the availability of these files on the `MASTER_SITES` should ignore these files and not report about them.

## 6.2.4 `RESTRICTED`

Set this variable alone if the application's license permits neither mirroring the application's `DISTFILES` nor distributing the binary package in any way.

`NO_CDROM` or `NO_PACKAGE` should not be set along with `RESTRICTED` since the latter variable implies the former ones.

`RESTRICTED` should be set to a string describing the reason why the port cannot be redistributed. Typically, this indicates that the port contains proprietary software and that the user will need to manually download the `DISTFILES`, possibly after registering for the software or agreeing to accept the terms of an EULA.

## 6.2.5 `RESTRICTED_FILES`

When `RESTRICTED` or `NO_CDROM` is set, this variable defaults to `${DISTFILES} ${PATCHFILES}`, otherwise it is empty. If only some of the distribution files are restricted, then set this variable to list them.

Note that the port committer should add an entry to `/usr/ports/LEGAL` for every listed distribution file, describing exactly what the restriction entails.

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