2007/9/3, Michael Gilbert <michael.s.gilbert@gmail.com>:
> This sub-thread is discussing whether we *want* software in Debian
> whose only purpose is to sell non-free software.
like i said before, the purpose of the package is to help the average
user to easily run the software of their choice on linux. steam does
include a store, but it is by no means the only purpose for the
software.
> Software must be DFSG-free to be in Debian. Not all DFSG-free software
> must be distributed by Debian.
if someone is willing to package and maintain it, then why not? i
thought the goal was for debian to be the universal operating system.
how can the system be universal if software is refused because it is
used to run non-dfsg software? if that is the case, then one should
reject wine, iceweasel, gcc, and any other software that could be used
to run non-dfsg software.
as i understand it, to become a debian developer, one has to agree to
adhere to the social contract (even if it doesn't fully conform to
one's personal feelings -- it is after all for the greater good of the
debian project). hence, your argument needs to be made in the context
of the social contract, and it is very clear that the contrib and
non-free archives are to be supported by debian for those users who
require the use of non-dfsg works.
"Our priorities are our users _and_ free software", yes.
And, as far as I'm concerned, contrib and non-free stuff has to be supported by those who are willing to support it, it's not that everyone in Debian can be forced to work on that.
We're not really discussing whether such a package should belong to Debian or not, that's not our task and in any case that kind of discussion should be taken to debian-devel instead. We're not even discussing whether such a package should belong to contrib or to non-free, that discussion should be better handled in debian-legal. And of course, if someone is willing to maintain such a package, it's not gonna be me who forbid them to do so.
What we're trying to decide, at least me, is if the Games Team, as a team, wants to invest some of the limited time and resources we have in that kind of software.
Miry
PS: I've removed debian-mentors from the CC, because this part of the discussion don't really affect them much.
PS2: IANAL, IANADD and all those nice things they tend to put in debian-legal :) I always wanted to have a chance to put them! :)