Re: Future Debian CD plans

[Martin Konold <konold@fiwi02.wiwi.uni-tuebingen.de>]

On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, Bruce Perens wrote:

Dear Bruce,

> We would not stop anyone from making a commercial product using Debian.
> This is simply a strategy to make Debian look more legitimate in
> commercial users eyes.
> 
> > By definition of the VERY strict Debian rules it seems that the proposed
> > "official" Debian might only qualify for the non-free part of the
> > Distribution...
> 
> Actually, the official ISO image goes in the free section for use by
> anyone. Only the cover and label artwork goes in the non-free section,
> and you can't call your CD "official" without our permission, and we'd
> raise a little money for the project. We would produce a new ISO image
> with each release. Nothing much about the project as it is today would
> change.
> 
> Again, what I am trying to do here is make the _appearance_ of a
> commercial product so that users can sell Debian for use within their
> own organization. I'm not sure you understood my intent.

Yes but this leads to confusion in the public. It will look like the
official version is somehow superior/better than ftp/mirror/cdrom version.

The prospective CD-ROM Makers might make their "commercial" Debian and
provide the support. I do not think that there should be a special 
"pay"-support by the Debian project. I prefer the debian-user way.

IMHO if people really ask for pay-support they might get it by the makers
of the "commercial" Debian. It is not the duty of the developers or the 
Debian Project to sell support.

There are several companies already selling good, paid support. There is
now need to split Debian in a commercial pay support Produkt and a non
commercial version.

I vote for just letting any cdrom distributor decide themself how to call
their cd. Which support they want to sell...

I don't want to have shareware or any other crude ideas creep into Debian.
Debian shall be a fully featured well supported Linux/Gnu based
distribution. ALL Debian users shall be treated equally by the Debian
Project people. Please do not discriminate against the ftp people. They
shall get the same kind of support like the others, who buy from the 
paying "official" Debian cdrom vendors.


BTW: How urgently does the project need the prospective moeny? There
     might be other means to get some money if it is needed. Maybe
     some cdrom manufacturer want to donate something on a free basis? 

Yours,
--martin
// Martin Konold, Muenzgasse 7, 72070 Tuebingen, Germany  // 
// Email: konold@tat.physik.uni-tuebingen.de              // 

   Oh, I've seen copies [of Linux Journal] around the 
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                 Worked for me all the times.
                     -- Linus Torvalds --


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