Re: Visualboy Advance question.

[Nathanael Nerode <neroden@twcny.rr.com>]

Anthony DeRobertis wrote:

<snip>
> If you mean freely as in DFSG-free software with DFSG-content, then
> should we get rid of mpg321? What about mmix? (I think that's the name
> of the emulator for Knuth's made-up machine.)
You can compile for mmix using gcc.  No kidding.

>> The Depends field should be used if the depended-on package is
>> required for
>> the depending package to provide a significant amount of functionality.
>>
>> The litmus test here is "a significant amount of functionality", not
>> "will
>> refuse to work at all without it", although that's a fairly good
>> description
>> of a console without a ROM.
> 
> It is also a fairly good description of a Java compiler without a
> source file.
You can create such a file using only a text editor and some free
documentation.  On top of that, we ship lots of them.

<snip>
> While you can't give an input at the error message output (just like
> javac) you can certainly write a ROM image to run, just like you can
> write a source file for javac.
Ah... I believe that is the question.  Is it plausible that you can?
If so, fine, put it in main.  Is the emulator there to help develop software
for the emulator?

Or does the emulator require a proprietary binary-only undocumented system
ROM which would be extremely hard to replace while maintaining the same
interface?

> And, indeed, the emulator will be an invaluable resource in getting
> your free ROM image to work.
> 
>> If you can't practically use a console emulator without resorting to a
>> non-free image, then we're violating the social contract if it's in
>> main.
> 
> OK, you *are* making that argument. Why, then, should mpg321 stay in
> main? Honestly, how many people play DFSG-free mp3s? I think I've
> personally played maybe 1 (because it was in the public domain...)

-- 
There are none so blind as those who will not see.