To inform that we will remove the following two packages in the next days as they are not compliant with our Social Contract:

astromenace
rocksndiamonds

Reasoning in detail:

rocksndiamonds
This package provides the game engine for Rocks'n'Diamonds, an arcade game in the tradition of "Boulder Dash", "Emerald Mine", "Supaplex", "Sokoban", etcetera. Game levels emulating all of these can be downloaded from ArtSoft.org. The data is published under non-free licensing.

astromenace
This part of 3D models was licensed from third-party design studio.   Game developers have source files for these models but they do not have rights   to distribute these sources. Only precompiled 3D models could be distributed. That is why one of CC licenses is chosen.

So both packages are not providing fully free and libre sources and data, only allowing redistribution but not further modification.

For everyone to underline why we sometimes add packages and later remove them again: Licensing is not always easy and we are doing auditing foremost every day nowadays. So we are not free from failure and do the best we can to provide only free, libre and community-oriented packages. Sometimes we then don't get all information at a time and need afterwards to correct our own additions.

Further packages to be removed:

gpsd
hiawatha

We don't need more webserver-packages and GPS / geolocation is an individual decision, not needed for essentials in an operating-system (even worse when it comes to security-questions). Package-scripts will be linked before removal from git today so they can be used further local.

Also to be removed:

ffcall
clisp
cl-alexandria
ecl
cl-ppcre
sbcl
clx

Those packages were needed for stumpwm, which was removed long ago as being not functional.

We will also remove all UXP-addons from the repositories, concluding that they can be easily used in local profiles instead of system-wide provided. All of them will stay nevertheless, but not in form of packages as this is a weird mix of installation.

iceape-uxp-noscript
iceape-uxp-ublock-origin-legacy
iceweasel-uxp-noscript
iceweasel-uxp-ublock-origin-legacy
iceweasel-uxp-urlrewriter
icedove-uxp-icecrypt

No, but we don't need it. If it is needed for someone: https://git.hyperbola.info:50100/~team/ … 756a62e11c

Please remember that we do not longer go for the distribution way. Meaning: To integrate as much useful packages as all want. We only provide a base, surely with common parts and more. But that's it: Everything else can be ported and provided from the community. Even using the PKGBUILD-files as linked for local installation. clisp was integrated because of the wish for stumpwm. With its removal there is no further usecase left. Towards the opposite of many others Hyperbola always followed this thought and now makes the point even more clear: Sharing packaging-scripts and more is nothing bad.

The packaging-scripts and patches are not lost or removed, so there are several options:

1. Creating an additional repository for packages so people using Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre and HyperbolaBSD can add it and install packages.
2. Get on as maintainer, being part of the team and support packaging and porting.
3. Help with financial support so we are able to do more.

Also all three at once are possible. But every package we add needs either patching or additional updating over time. And as we want to focus onwards HyperbolaBSD we have to make sure all works and is in a good shape over a longer period of time now since 0.4.3 is again the last release with GNU/Linux-libre and Linux with GNU generalized. We are leaving those spheres and have no intention to look backwards. Sidenote: I would be curious for possible usecase for clisp or further work done with it from the community, so also here the invitation to show it to everyone interested. I do not doubt it is meaningful, but nevertheless Hyperbola has not the intention to be Debian alike and provide more and more packages. As underlined: We need maintainers, feel welcome if interested and we can establish that package with its dependencies again.

Now after release of version 0.4.3, there will be most only patches and fixes coming. Therefore now a listing of packages with fixes to come:

qemu (removed missing zstd-dependency)
dhcpcd-ui (added desktop-support, removed unnedded autostart)
cbatticon (added desktop-support, added gtk2-support, updated to new release)

Furthermore two new packages will enter:

seatd
snac

The last package mentioned is a little nice meant present as everyone can use it to create an own federated communication-instance.

seatd is ported for FreeBSD and HyperbolaBSD is for sure NOT only OpenBSD-forked: It will conclude own development, ports and additions from FreeBSD, DragonflyBSD and OpenBSD also. We already differ within the binaries created, which are not usable on any OpenBSD-installation.

Regarding libwebp: There is a severe security-issue reported (https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5129) and the project itself is direct related towards Google, so not a community-project and therefore a candidate for removal in the near future.

As always: We will go to phase this out, step by step.

UPDATE: For the moment we can only make sure that as less packages as possible have libwebp as dependency but webkitgtk enforces it as mandatory. So we have the only choice left with patching and mitigating.

So it is again time to remember: Hyperbola is a community-driven system. If you want some more packages, some updates out of the line, please do it yourself and share your discovery and results here in the forums. We have removed "flagged out of date" for packages, around them also minetest. So to underline here also: We will not and can not update those packages as they enforce dependencies we do not provide. You find alternative solutions or patches around that for zstd? Please share them. Same for upgrades for tauthon and python. We will not and can not do that until we want to risk the stability of the whole system itself.

Hyperbola is a stable system, but this means also stable in the point of migration for HyperbolaBSD.
We do not cover endless wishes or demands, we are also NOT rolling-release likewise always adding the newest releases. So we do not react on those "flagging" and remove it. If there is something to discuss or inform, please use the forums. We will look forward also to remove that option complete from our website-infrastructure in the near future.Step forward and bring arguments, not some flagging.

Please also remember: Not the newest release is depending. It is the whole system and every dependency in the perspective fitting. If you want always the newest, please think again why you want to use Hyperbola as this is not our common goal. And we surely won't add also packages while their maintainers and developers want use Hyperbola as some platform to test their newest releases. Especially this is not acceptable for us as a small team: We cannot provide that and exactly therefore we have removed some packages likewise in the past. Stable means stable running, only minor updates and fixes. We have done and do what we can, daily base: Also to provide a nice and stable oriented experience for all interested. But if the number of packages is not sufficient for you when reading, please think for other solutions. We want to work together on technical emancipation and this implicates also not thousands of more packages or endless updates. One system under control of its users, not by any other instance or company.

We mean it, when we say: Free software, free society. That's not just some line sounding nice for us. And we do not throw this overboard, when it comes to convinience.

VAAPI it's bound to patented codecs:  https://lwn.net/Articles/910978/

The next packages to be removed are now clear:

libva
libvdpau
impressive

The reasoning for the first two packages is already clear, the third added as there are BSD-ports available but the dependency-tree is nevertheless not making it further possible. For OpenBSD there is an older version with enabled pdftk-support only available. All in all there is not much more need for impressive and it brings also no further more useful help as application.

libva is not for audio and therefore Bad Wolf will have no issue with it. It is the further acceleration library for videos but until now only active if you install the corresponding further interfaces from mesa-stack. In general most users will have nothing lost, neither for libva nor for libvdpau.

This will only make Hyperbola coming more closer towards BSD-transition and getting free from corporate projects. We do not need them!

Packages got removed from git-repositories:

libva
libvdpau
impressive

Hyperbola is not doing performative contradiction.
Free software means also a free society and free from false balances and misleading influence. No company, nor any corporation is giving away something free and libre. Besides to remember: Being unusable is (also) a human right.

If someone think someone else or something is "unusable", please think again. It is one point to describe objects alike, but another to describe beings that way. No correlation, just a note ... because too many of us think that way about others, with exactly this capitalist exploitation logic. Nevertheless it is a sign of respect to support and respect the work done.