Re: Dissatisfied w/Debian? Make something 'pure'.
According to Joseph Carter:
> Several messages in this thread can be tied to developers who wish
> to relax the DFSG so their favorite software can get into Debian.
I don't recall any discussion of requests to relax the DFSG. Was it
not on debian-devel, or have I not been paying enough attention?
(After all, KDE isn't a DFSG issue, it's a license-conflict issue.)
> You argue that people like John should not be able to change the
> project's focus like that - so why should you be able to?
Um, I'm not trying to change it. I'm suggesting that it should remain
as it is: Creating and promoting free software while simultaneously
providing infrastructure for non-free software as needed by users.
Or have I missed your point?
> I see two forces, both would rather tear Debian in half than see
> things continue as they are today. Know what? One of them is
> likely to do just that sooner or later.
I honestly don't see a less-free movement as being nearly as dangerous
to Debian as the more-free movement. Pragmatism doesn't fire up
enthusiasm like zealous purity does, and misdirected enthusiasm is a
lot more destructive than apathy.
"We can't win against obsession. They care, we don't. They win."
-- Ford Prefect, as written by Douglas Adams
> > Of course, almost no one would use GNU Purity [not tm [yet]]. And it
> > would always be in flux, because RMS is prone to change his definition
> > of "free" from time to time.
>
> It has nothing to do with RMS. If you think I support this because RMS
> would, you are SADLY mistaken.
I'm making the point that lots of DFSG-free software isn't RMS-free.
So once zealots have lopped off non-free and contrib, what's next?
I believe that they won't stop until everything non-GPL is gone. So
let's just hold the line where it is and carry on.
> That said, I've watched people try to push Debian off its free
> software center ever sense I joined the project.
Well, from what I've read, usability was Debian's original center.
Free software was a tail that eventually wagged the dog. I'm not
complaining, because I like Debian how it is. But it's a bit odd to
protest that someone shouldn't steal a project from you, because you
stole it fair and square.
--
Chip Salzenberg - a.k.a. - <chip@valinux.com>
"I wanted to play hopscotch with the impenetrable mystery of existence,
but he stepped in a wormhole and had to go in early." // MST3K
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