Re: How long is it acceptable to leave *undistributable* files in the kernel package?

[Josh Triplett <josh.trip@verizon.net>]

Matthew Wilcox wrote:
> You speak as if this has no negative effects.  In fact, it does.
> By removing, let's say, the tg3 driver, you make Debian unusable for a
> large percentage of users.  Those users turn to other distributions who,

Usefulness is not an excuse for distributing non-free sofware, or for
violating the GPL or any other license; at one point, many people
"needed" netscape, but that doesn't mean netscape should have been in
main.  In any case, the tg3 driver works fine without the firmware on
most cards it supports; the firmware is only needed in a few cases.

- Josh Triplett