Miles Bader wrote:
I have vague recollections from a few years back that a major benefit of non-free was seen to be a few big important packages that were in it -- specifically, netscape -- which no self-respecting system could do without. Obviously the `netscape excuse' is dead & buried these days... :-) Does anyone remember what other (if any) non-free packages were considered `big and important'? I wouldn't be surprised if they've all gone the way of netscape. -Miles
Right now it's the "Java excuse". Some people were trying to remove java stuff from contrib, making it use jikes/kaffe, but I have no link right now nor do I know what is the status of the initiative.