On debian-policy, "Davide G. M. Salvetti" <salve@debian.org> wrote:
> My answer simply is: so be it.
>
> How could we build a completely free OS if we didn't separate out
> non-free from free software?
>
> If bsdgames-non-free contains non-free software, it cannot be part of
> Debian, and there is no reason bsdgames should suggest it.
>
> The same applies to tetex and tetex-non-free.
>
> It's sad, but every non-free piece of software has its disadvantages
> over free alternatives; that's the way it works.
"Social Contract" with the Free Software Community
1. Debian Will Remain 100% Free Software
We promise to keep the Debian GNU/Linux Distribution entirely free
software. As there are many definitions of free software, we include
the guidelines we use to determine if software is "free" below. We will
support our users who develop and run non-free software on Debian, but
we will never make the system depend on an item of non-free software.
5. Programs That Don't Meet Our Free-Software Standards
We acknowledge that some of our users require the use of programs that
don't conform to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. We have created
"contrib" and "non-free" areas in our FTP archive for this software.
The software in these directories is not part of the Debian system,
although it has been configured for use with Debian. We encourage CD
manufacturers to read the licenses of software packages in these
directories and determine if they can distribute that software on their
CDs. Thus, although non-free software isn't a part of Debian, we
support its use, and we provide infrastructure (such as our
bug-tracking system and mailing lists) for non-free software packages.
--
I consume, therefore I am
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