Re: Non-free, Contrib and CDs (Was Re: GNU Win32? Not anymore.)
On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, Bruce Perens wrote:
> From: Shaya Potter <spotter@itd.nrl.navy.mil>
> > What is contrib normally? Contrib is stuff that would
> > belong in Debian accept that their some things that preclude them from
> > being in the main dist.
>
> Things that are free _by_our_definition_ except there's no source code.
>
> Things that are free but depend on non-free things.
>
> Things that we don't want to support or have as part of Debian because
> they are too buggy, especially if the bugs are in the area of security.
>
I agree that things which are "free" but no source code are at least good
for contrib. However, if the are "free", shouldn't a product that
contains source code, and only limits distribution (not use) be free. The
whole thing about "free" is that you can get the source code, and have the
ability to modify it, that it's not hijacked by some company and that once
that entity decides they don't want to support it, the product languishes.
It seems that software which is only "distribution restricted" is in some
ways more "free" than software with no source code.
Shaya
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