[AMENDMENT]: Release Etch now, with source-less but legal and freely licensed firmware

[Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org>]

Hi,

        I was not aware that Frederik's proposal was for the Debian
 project to give carte blanche to the kernel team to distribute
 whatever the upstream kernel has, even if it is a major regression in
 the freedom from the kernel released in Sarge.

        Indeed, not agreeing to only distribute firmware accompanied
 by a license is illegal, and we can't expect the release managers and
 ftp masters to knowingly break copyright law. Passing a GR allowing
 people to break copyright laws ought not to cut it.

        Secondly, the GR should not be about undoing the progress made
 in the kernel in Sarge and beyond, so regressing to a lesser  freedom
 seems like we are going backwards.

        I applaud the release managers for making it clear that they
 are unwilling to break the law, and that they too are opposed to the
 regression in freedom for Etch relative to Sarge.

        Now that Frederik has rejected my amendment, I am clarifying
 it, and fixing the typographical errors in the original, and formally
 seeking seconds for this amendment.

        Comments welcome.

        manoj
        The following is the full text of my Amendment

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,----
|  1. We affirm that our Priorities are our users and the free software
|     community (Social Contract #4);
|  2. We acknowledge that there is a lot of progress in the kernel
|     firmware issue; however, it is not yet finally sorted out; 
|  3. We assure the community that there will be no regressions in
|     the progress made for freedom in the kernel distributed by
|     Debian relative to the Sarge  release in Etch
|  4. We give priority to the timely release of Etch over sorting every
|     bit out; for this reason, we will treat removal of sourceless
|     firmware as a best-effort process, and deliver firmware in udebs as
|     long as it is necessary for installation (like all udebs), and
|     firmware included in the kernel itself as part of Debian Etch,
|     as long as we are legally allowed to do so, and the firmware is
|     distributed upstream under a license that complies with the DFSG. 
`----

-- 
You are destined to become the commandant of the fighting men of the
department of transportation.
Manoj Srivastava   <srivasta@debian.org>  <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B  924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C

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