How to fix the following warning for CRAN packages regarding packages which restrict the use of FOSS?

user_5269850 0
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I am creating an R package which depends on the following package akima, which is published on CRAN:

https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/akima/index.html

When I try to upload my R package to CRAN, there is a NOTE:

Package has a FOSS license but eventually depends on the following
package which restricts use:
  akima

I'm stumped how to fix this, or what this NOTE actually means.

Given this is a license with akima (which is on CRAN), is there something I could do to resolve this NOTE? My own package currently depends on GPL-3 as a license, which I believe is fine: https://cran.r-project.org/web/licenses/

Any help is appreciate here.

cran r-package r
1 Answers

You are overlooking the fact that akima, while on CRAN for mostly historical reasonas as it goes back to CRAN releases as early as 1998 (!!) is not actually free software -- see its license.

So the NOTE you got is on point: while your package may be free software, by depending on akima you are creating a conflicted bundle. So "don't do it" if you can.

And you can: the interp package was written for this purpose and says in its DESCRIPTION:

It is intended to provide FOSS replacement functions for the ACM licensed akima::interp and tripack::tri.mesh functions.

There is more detail at the package. Hopefully is offers what you need.

user_1433050
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