Re: Proposal - Amendment - allow hardware support from non-free into the debian system
On Tue, Sep 05, 2006 at 01:25:44PM +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
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Well, i think we are going to have too many options on that ballot, i think we
should do some rationalizing at some point, and keep only a few which will
represent most opinions, and work on polishing their wordings instead of
everyone proposing their pet proposal.
> Here is my (slightly rushed) write-up of a non-free-hw compromise
> option. Please second it if you think it should appear on the vote.
>
> This amendment to <20060822221804.GC28755@mauritius.dodds.net> removes
> the rationale and "therefore", replaces "authors" in point 2 with
> "licensors", removes point 3, and replaces point 4 with "as a special
> exception to help users who have vital hardware without free software
> drivers yet, the Debian system and official CD images may include
> hardware support packages from the admin section of the non-free archive
> area which conform to all Debian Free Software Guidelines except
> guideline 2 (Source Code), or an archive section/area with equivalent
> requirements."
>
> So, the full position statement proposed is:
> ========================================================================
>
> THE DEBIAN PROJECT:
> 1. reaffirms its dedication to providing a 100% free system to
> our users according to our Social Contract and the DFSG; and
> 2. encourages licensors of all works to make those works
> available not only under licenses that permit modification, but also in
> forms that make such modifications practical; and
> 3. as a special exception to help users who have vital hardware
> without free software drivers yet, the Debian system and official CD
> images may include hardware-support packages from the admin section of
> the non-free archive area which conform to all Debian Free Software
> Guidelines except guideline 2 (Source Code), or an archive section/area
> with equivalent requirements.
> ========================================================================
Why do you mention the admin section of the non-free archive ? I mean,
sections are mostly obsolet with the new pool structure, and it is not clear
what is meant here.
If this is clarified, i would second your proposal.
> Personal rationale:
>
> - - I'm not giving a full rationale here because this has been discussed
> in extreme depth already and we're voting for a policy more than its
> rationale. For what it's worth, I wrote this proposal after
> http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2006/08/msg00123.html and
> http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2006/09/msg00010.html and my notes
> from -vote are http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2006/debian#dfsgwaiving
>
> - - this neither supports nor reverses the decision of the Release Team
> about works such as images, video, and fonts. I don't think that the
> two issues should be combined: no videos seem as vital as firmware for
> installation. This GR should neither promote that decision to policy,
> nor override it.
>
> - - this tries to specify a compromise for hardware support in a way that
> /could/ be done today by moving linux-* to non-free (but I hope that
> isn't what happens) while trying to leave most of the implementation
> decisions to the relevant maintainers and delegates. I hope that it's
> some sort of split between main and a new non-free-hw, but who knows?
Notice that the split to non-free will no more happen for etch, i think it is
doubtful that any other issue will come of those GRs.
Friendly,
Sven Luther
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