Re: non-free?

[Knut Yrvin <knuty@skolelinux.no>]

tirsdag 23. mars 2004, 16:22, skrev Sajith VK:
> Finding free alteranative for Java wont be an
> easy Job. Now regarding flash, Why cant we avoild
> flash support?. Regarding Opera, I still wonder
> why it is included when there are enough and more
> "best quality" browsers available as free software!

Good questions about Opera. Here is he becauses ... :-)

Because we made up Skolelinux at a summer party at Haakon Wium Lie who is 
Chief Technology Officer at Opera Software. 

http://lwn.net/Articles/47510/

Petter Reinholdtsen has worked there a couple of years ago. It is great for 
presentations (and kills off the PowerPoint-followes). 

Opera is a Norwegian SW-product and we like it because we are 
Norwegians :-). Opera Software has made a Skolelinux-version of their 
browser. 

We have considered to drop it because of some technical issues. But the 
newer version is great and fast. 

We shows the world that we don't exclude anyone even when we prefer free 
software at our teeth. It gives us credibility when we permits some room 
for proprietary solutions. 

Microsoft can't say that we are against them because we are distributing 
some proprietary solutions with better and more gentle proprietary 
licenses.  

That said we recommend Mozilla cause of the out-of-the box flash and 
java-support when downloaded from non-free. We have also asked if Opera 
wants to release their source-code with a user friendly license adjusted to 
Debian guidelines ... They said no :-)

Thanks 

Knut Yrvin
Project manager Skolelinux Norway