Re: General Resolution: Removing non-free
>>"Branden" == Branden Robinson <branden@ecn.purdue.edu> writes:
Branden> I think you misunderstand the point of the GR. The point is
Branden> *not* to make non-free software difficult to use.
Interesting. But whether it is the ``point'' or not, it would
make non-free software more inaccessible, and harder for users t get;
it won't have pointers on the Debian web pages, it shall not be
available to satisfy dependencies in DFSG packages, and, most critical of
all; the services of the BTS shall not be available.
You assume that the value added by Debian is worthless; but it
is not so. Removing non-free would indeed make the software that
currently resides in Debian harder to get, and worse maintained.
Don't you love polititcs?
Branden> Non-free .deb packages will continue to exist. They just
Branden> wouldn't be hosted on official Debian mirrors. A parallel
Branden> mirror network could be set up, and the mirrors that
Branden> currently opt-in to non-free could opt-in to that. We might
Branden> need to implement the long-discussed "Origin:" or similar
Branden> field in dpkg. A separate BTS would need to be set up for
Branden> the non-free packages. The automatic bug reporting tools
Branden> might need to be made aware of these alternative bug
Branden> systems.
The effort required would be of a magnitude nearly rivalling
that of Debian itself, (finding sponsors, and hardware, co-loc,
etc).
It is naive to assume that these efforts would not detract
from Debian; if developerrs make these efforts, which could be going
towards Debian itself, but redirected towards the new non-free,
Debian would suffer, for the work involved would be increased greatly
(in other words, the resources required to carry non-free together
with the rest are less than those required to separate it).
I find these statements here deceptive (and this is one of the
things about this GR that leaves a faint distaste in my mouth). You
must know that this GR would make non-free packages less accesible --
and yet you are here with ``but it does not need to be so'' arguments
when confronted with that possibility.
Branden> *All* of these changes are in fact innovations that don't
Branden> have anything to do with non-free software. Rather, they
Branden> acknowledge the success of the Debian package format. Look
Branden> at Corel and Stormix. We don't get their bug reports --
Branden> where do they go? We don't ship Corel and Stormix
Branden> .debs...where do they come from? Obviously these are
Branden> problems that have already been solved. We can put support
Branden> for alternative sources and support networks for .deb
Branden> packages in our official tools. Yes, it will require a
Branden> little bit of effort.
Yes, solved by people other than us -- solved by companies
that may not care as much about the quality of the distribution as we
do.
Branden> The General Resolution is not a ban on making .deb packages
Branden> of non-free software. Such a ban could not be enforced.
Branden> The license on dpkg does not tell you what you can and
Branden> cannot package with it.
Yeah, right. We just make sure that people supplying non-free
packages that they deem useful to Debian and the users must jump
through hoops, but we do not prevent them from doing so. Of course,
none of the packages shall have the impramatur of Debian, but that
makes no difference to the utility of Debian or the quality of the
add-on packages. Yeesh.
manoj
--
Neophyte's serendipity. Exclusive dedication to necessitious chores
without interludes of hedonistic diversion renders John a
hebetudinous fellow. A revolving concretion of earthy or mineral
matter accumulates no congeries of small, green bryophytic plant. The
person presenting the ultimate cachinnation possesses thereby the
optimal cachinnation. Abstention from any aleatory undertaking
precludes a potential escallation of a lucrative nature. Missiles of
ligneous or osteal consistency have the potential of fracturing
osseous structure, but appellations will eternally remain innocuous.
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
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