Re: General Resolution: Removing non-free, Draft 2

[Michael Alan Dorman <mdorman@mallet-assembly.org>]

Branden Robinson <branden@ecn.purdue.edu> writes:
> On Wed, Jun 07, 2000 at 07:48:51AM -0400, Michael Alan Dorman wrote:
> > Debian would be much less useful to me if I had to install MySQL by hand.
> 
> Please explain how the GR would make you have to install mysql by hand.

Here is the sequence of events I envision:

 1) If this GR passes, it removes the infrastructure for distribution
    and maintenance (BTS, etc) of non-free packages.

 2) Deprived of an infrastructure to either distribute the package or
    manage user feedback, the package is no longer distributed.

    Lest people howl that I am making a huge assumption here, please
    let me at least explain my reasoning:

    * Developers often package things they themselves need.

    * Being developers, and thus having access to the infrastructure
      Debian has for distributing packages, they then make the fruits
      of their efforts available to others.

    * Removing access to that infrastructure will have at least two
      concrete results:

      * It becomes more complicated to make these things available to
        a large number of users.

      * It becomes harder to reliably collect and track bug reports.

    * Maintainer decides it isn't worth it to go to the trouble, and
      not bother to distribute these non-free packages (though they
      may still maintain them for private use).

 3) I, and probably others, end up installing MySQL by hand, or more
    likely maintaining my own packages.

I really don't think I'm overstating the case, though of course you
may decide to characterize me as a raving lunatic.

I certainly don't think the opinion I predicate upon this sequence of
events and that you quoted above can be disputed, since my opinion is
mine alone to arrive at.

Mike.