Re: NEW handling: About rejects, and kernels

[Eduard Bloch <edi@gmx.de>]

#include <hallo.h>
* Thomas Bushnell BSG [Sat, Mar 26 2005, 11:49:37PM]:

> This is like saying that people will use star office whether it's DFSG
> free or not, so there is no reason to say "we won't distribute this
> until it's DFSG free".  In fact, people can and do make things free.
> 
> > Please explain why you disagree with this.
> 
> We should tell users: we are unable to support this hardware, because
> we don't have the source.  Among other things, we are unable to fix
> security bugs in it.  (And yes, device drivers certainly can have
> security bugs!  I've even seen firmware bugs with security
> implications.)

That is bullshit/lies/cheating (pick one). It should be worded:

"We are not willing to support his hardware just because we (at least
some of us) decided to demonstrate how can we can strike against the
non-freeness of the hardware development assets (which has ever been
there but we don't care). And you are the lab rats for our experiment
but in our reality, the hardware manufacturers are the ones to be
blame!!!1"

> > I suspect you'll say that we simply must have the source, without
> > compromise. Freedom for freedom's sake, etc.
> 
> No.  Why do you think we insist on the source for programs in general?

Because we want to modify it where we need it and this modification is a
feasible thing. If your BIOS is crappy and your hardware manufacturers
does not provide updates, do you burn the bits with a soldering gun or
open flames in order to fix that?
You don't? Why do you insist on modifying hardware parts (firmware is
one) then?

> Why do we insist on the source for openoffice.org or emacs?  Is it
> just mindless?  No.  It's for good and worthy reasons.  You need to
> explain why those reasons somehow don't apply in the case of firmware.

Because it does not RUN on anything inside of our scope (host machine).
You try to extend it by cheating but IMHO most people will refuse to
support that.

Regards,
Eduard.
-- 
Ambassador Londo Mollari: Mr.  Garibaldi,j ust now, would you really have
killed me?
Michael Garibaldi: Yes. Yes, I would've, but I'm just as glad I didn't have to.
The paperwork's a pain in the butt.
                                                 -- Quotes from Babylon 5 --