Re: Re^2: non-free and "cd-ok", again
Marco.Budde@hqsys.antar.com (Marco Budde) writes:
> Am 03.07.98 schrieb joey # infodrom.north.de ...
>
> Moin Martin!
>
> MS> Before this discussion grows into a big thread we should consider
> MS> what we want. Do we want to produce a _free_ Linux distribution or
> MS> do we want to make life easier for cd vendors?
>
> We should do both. And please remember that we#re producing a distribution
> for users. And most users need non-free programs. I think *we* should help
> the cd vendors to add software from our non-free section to their cd#s.
According to my research only 38 out of the 235 packages in non-free
can be distributed commercially. I didn't understand some licenses, so
you might find some more packages.
But this is a lawyers job, neither Debian nor most of the CD makers
will have the ressources to find out what the creator of the licenses
wanted to say, what the license says and what other lawyers will read.
And a serious company shall not trust foreign non-liable advise.
If we want to make life easier for CD makers we should:
- Convince the authors to change the license.
- Support DFSG-free alternatives.
- Convince the authors to make their licenses more readable.
For most non-free packages the authors are making life difficult for
the cd venders, and Debian (aka we) can't do anything about this
unless the author changes the license.
Above question "Do we want to produce a _free_ Linux distribution or
do we want to make life easier for cd vendors?" misses the point:
Producing a free Linux distribution makes life easier for cd vendors.
The vendors don't need non-free software; some users do. But the users
have to accept that the vendors have to adhere to law.
Sven
--
Sven Rudolph <sr1@inf.tu-dresden.de>
http://www.sax.de/~sr1/
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