Re: Screw non-free.
On Mon, Mar 15, 2004 at 10:15:02PM -0500, Evan Prodromou wrote:
> >>>>> "HM" == Hamish Moffatt <hamish@debian.org> writes:
>
> HM> Perhaps it is, but is that important? Anyone who works on
> HM> non-free is volunteering their time to do so. Nobody is being
> HM> forced or coerced. So if I want to waste my time (in your
> HM> opinion) why should you care?
>
> I don't! Far be it from me to tell you how to spend your free time. If
> you want to start a project for distributing non-free packages that
> work with Debian, I heartily support you in that venture, and I think
> the Debian project should even help you get it off the ground. I wish
> you well.
I don't think the removal of non-free from debian.org can be justified
on the basis of time & effort alone. Firstly, everyone working on
non-free is doing so of their own free will; if they didn't think it was
worth the time, they wouldn't do it. Secondly, creating a new site to
host non-free packages will cost additional effort to set up then the
same effort to maintain.
Therefore the net benefit, time-wise, is negative.
In any case you misread me; I don't want to start a new project for
distributing non-free packages configured for Debian. We have the most
suitable method for distributing those packages already and I'm hoping
we'll be smart enough not to do away with it.
> I mean, the non-free project maintainers will have some of the best
> Free Software around to make, distribute, and track those packages. I
> think it's going to be a fine, fine project.
I'm undecided as to whether I would bother to contribute to non-free.org
if Suffield's GR passes. I couldn't care less about a couple of my
non-free packages, but I know that a few of them are quite important to
our CJK users.
Hamish
--
Hamish Moffatt VK3SB <hamish@debian.org> <hamish@cloud.net.au>
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