Re: What do you win by moving things to non-free?
On Sat, Apr 16, 2005 at 06:14:58AM +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 15, 2005 at 11:15:29PM -0400, Glenn Maynard wrote:
> > On Sat, Apr 16, 2005 at 04:29:42AM +0200, Bernd Eckenfels wrote:
> > > In article <[🔎] 20050416015445.GF4831@stusta.de> you wrote:
> > > > Is this wanted?
> > >
> > > This may not be wanted, but what is your alternative?
> >
> > Well, it's not that we don't want gcc's documentation to be moved to
> > non-free; rather, we don't want gcc's documentation to *be* non-free.
> > The moving to non-free is just a side-effect; Adrian seems to be
> > saying that we should eliminate the side-effect and ignore the core
> > problem.
>
> What is the "core problem"?
>
> Are the differences between the FSF and Debian regarding issues like
> invariant sections in Debian really the core problem?
On this issue, yes.
> Or are things like hardware with binary-only drivers and without
> specifications or software patents more important problems?
Those are separate issues. It's not as if we suddenly turn a blind eye
to binary-only drivers and software patents if we go on a crusade
against non-free documentation.
> As I tried to express in the "system administrator" example in the email
> I sent a few minutes ago, I'm sure nearly everyone outside the inner
> circle of the free software world will consider the whole GFDL
> discussion as being absurd.
Many people outside the community consider the whole "Free Software" vs
"Open Source" discussion as being absurd, too; but the fact that this is
true doesn't mean that the discussion is pointless, or that the cause
isn't a worthy one.
> In the Qt/GPL case Debian was at least able to argue that it would
> otherwise break laws which convinces many people.
Debian is about more than 'not breaking laws'.
> And if the FSF doesn't want to change the GFDL in a way that Debian
> wants I doubt moving GFDL'ed documentation to non-free will put much
> pressure on them.
Well, I guess that's a chance we have to take. In any case, our users
should always have the option of getting the documentation from
non-free.
--
The amount of time between slipping on the peel and landing on the
pavement is precisely one bananosecond
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