Re: General Resolution: Removing non-free
On Fri, Jun 09, 2000 at 05:56:13PM -0700, Alex Romosan wrote:
> "Eric Gillespie, Jr." <epg@pobox.com> writes:
>
> > I don't know if those of us in the new-maintainer queue count,
> > but if we do, i'm willing to be listed as a sponsor.
> >
> > I agree completely that non-free is no longer compatible with
> > Debian's goals. Netscape is the only non-free software i still
> > use, and with each nightly build of Mozilla i come closer to
> > having a completely free system.
> >
>
> i thought that the goal was to provide a technically superior
> distribution which can be used by as many people as possible. not
>From the social contract:
"The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have made common
cause to create a free operating system."
So the primary objective of Debian is to create a free operating system.
> everybody uses debian on their home toy box for web surfing. i guess
> you don't use java (or any of the other programs in non-free), but
> some of us do (and we don't have a choice). when i started using
> debian some five years ago it was because (amongst other reasons), as
> the social contract states:
>
> 4. Our Priorities are Our Users and Free Software
> ^^^^^^^^^
In the parapgraph you cited, there is no promise that Debian will maintain
non-free software. There is the promise that we will permit to use free
software in Debian:
"We won't object to commercial software
that is intended to run on Debian systems, and we'll allow others to
create value-added distributions containing both Debian and commercial
software, without any fee from us. To support these goals, we will
provide an integrated system of high-quality, 100% free software, with
no legal restrictions that would prevent these kinds of use."
> over the years the users have been marginalized and the emphasis has
> been put more and more on free software. so when you remove free
> software also make sure to remove all references to giving priorities
> to users. you don't!
[snipped]
Debian is a project born to create a completely free software operating
system. To pretend that _Debian_ maintain non-free software is excessive.
Anyone can download debs or other software and install on their systems.
You don't must to install a complete operating system: you must install the
few packages for which does not exists a valid free alternative.
>
> if you don't want to use non-free software, then don't use it but
> please don't tell me how to live my life. i'll make my choices, and if
> this resolution passes i guess it will be time for me to leave the
> project and find another distribution to use. too bad because i really
> liked debian.
Sorry, but your reasoning is flawed:
you must use non-free software so Debian must maintain non-free software?
note that nobody is going to impede you maintain a deb package.
[snipped]
--
Francesco Tapparo | cesco@debian.org
fight for your software freedoms: www.fsf.org | tapparo@mat.unimi.it
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