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Re: NONUS?



On Mon, 2002-07-29 at 11:17, Glenn McGrath wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Jul 2002 11:20:28 +0200
> "ErykD" <eryk_d@poczta.fm> wrote:
> 
> > Dear Debian CD team,
> > 
> > I read the FAQ concerning the "NONUS" and non "NONUS" versions of cd
> > images of Debian linux distribution, but I just can't figure out which
> > one should I download. I am a citizen of Poland and I don't know if in
> > the FAQ "everybody" meant everybody worldwide or just the US citizens?
> > 
> > So my question is: "Should I download the
> > "debian-30r0-i386-binary-1.iso" or "debian-30r0-i386-binary-1_NONUS.iso"
> > cd image?" Thank you.
> > 
> 
> Download the NONUS one.
> 
> NONUS is a confusing name.
> 
> NONUS means complete, the normal (US?) one is crippled due to politics.
> 
> The only reason not to use the NONUS cd image instead of the US cd would
> be if you were afraid of the possible legal repercussions for having
> access to crypto software.... some countries dont want their people to
> have privacy.

Well, that used to be true, until the crypto stuff generally got moved
into the US main (on the assumption that the US would never re-introduce
silly draconian laws.  Oh.  Oh dear, never mind), so now if you live in
a country where they still have laws against crypto, then you have a bit
of a problem using Debian CDs now.

These days, non-US is mostly for things that are governed by US patent
law, or perhaps DMCA infringing stuff, although people seem a bit timid
about uploading, or perhaps hosting that sort of thing for some reason.

Anyway, we should probably call CD1 CD1_US, CD1_NONUS CD1, and have
things like patent.debian.org, dmca.debian.org etc.  instead of just
non-US.debian.org, and still consider the amalgamation of all the main
sections on all of them to be the one true Debian, even if it turns out
that we cannot legally assemble that whole anywhere on the planet.

Of course, if nobody actually cares about things like the fact that
violent games are illegal in Germany (assuming they still are) then
going to all that effort is not justified.

Cheers, Phil.
-- 
Say no to software patents!  http://petition.eurolinux.org/

|)|  Philip Hands [+44 (0)20 8530 9560]    http://www.hands.com/
|-|  HANDS.COM Ltd.                    http://www.uk.debian.org/
|(|  10 Onslow Gardens, South Woodford, London  E18 1NE  ENGLAND

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