SOLVED: Tainted applications

[pccobbler]

As the attached image from WelcometoMageia/Applications shows, some of my applications are tainted, whatever that means. Two of them are codecs, but I did not install any, though they could have been included with VLC or Audacious. Handbrake is also tainted, though I did not install that. Also, there are double entries for all tainted applications except for Handbrake. Would someone care to explain how that happened and if it can be fixed?

[jiml8]

"Tainted" means that you are running versions of the package or code that is not fully open-source, but contains some copyrighted code or functionality.

Unless you are a hard core open source software purist, you should ignore that your packages are tainted; typically this means you have functionality that you would not have in the untainted package. If you have a substantial philosophical objection to using copyrighted code, or perhaps some business-related objection to the licensing that accompanies that copyrighted code, then you can remove your tainted packages and replace them with untainted versions.

Otherwise, don't worry about it.

[doktor5000]

The packages themselves aren't tainted, they come from the so-called tainted repositories, if that makes more sense. Have a look at e.g. https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Mirrors_policy#tainted

This is nothing that needs to be "fixed". Also double entries for a package means that there is a regular version, and one from the tainted repositories. The latter usually includes more funtionality e.g. some patented video/audio codecs.

Apart from that, handbrake is definitely not installed by default, you have installed that at some point in time.

[pccobbler]

Thanks for the replies. I was wrong about Handbrake, as it clearly has an "Install" option , so it's not installed yet.

As for "tainted," I was confused by the word and by the fact that for some applications (e.g., VLC), there is both a non-tainted and tainted version, which I find strange.

[morgano]

there is both a non-tainted and tainted version, which I find strange.

Not strange: Mageia give you the choice.
By default install the tainted repo is not enabled, so you get no patent encumbered packages.

You can change any time you wish.