Re: non-free?
Petter Reinholdtsen wrote:
[Sajith VK]
Is removing non-free softwares in our TODO list so that we can
expect a "free" version in the future?
Well, only if someone do the job of making alternatives. We include
Java to make sure the browsers are able to handle Java applets. It
would be nice with a free alternative. A related issue is the lack
of Flash support. A free alternative would be nice here too.
A complete list of extra packages and a short explanation why they
are on the CD is available from
<URL:http://developer.skolelinux.no/info/cdbygging/sl-packages.txt>.
The goal is to make that list go away, and maintain all the packages
we need inside Debian. It will only happen if we work hard to make
it happen. Creating free alternatives and getting the missing
packages into Debian is the way to do it.
I think that a lot of the Debian-wide motivation for this is to
establish Debians' position legally as a totally free distribution so as
to make it harder to create inroads with the current international march
towards establishing copywrite and patents on everything that moves.
It makes it extremely hard and alienating on the non-free developers,
but it may well be the strategy that leads to survival.
Debian is going to be the poorer for it, and not just in the short term,
as it will take a long time to replace some of the graphics packages
like Povray and Blender with totally free versions, for example.
But if it means survival, what other choice have we?
Regards,
David.
Reply to: