Loïc Minier wrote: > Don Armstrong <don@donarmstrong.com> - Mon, Oct 18, 2004: >>No sourcecode bits: >>http://people.debian.org/~terpstra/thread/20021106.222149.24f92b22.en.html > > Quite interesting, although related to code running on the host, most > of the thread is interesting. Note that where the code runs is not relevant to whether it must be Free; if Debian ships it in main, it must be Free. >>In the context of DSP Binaries: >>http://people.debian.org/~terpstra/thread/20030922.064726.2833dd35.en.html > > Interesting, and particularly this: > <http://people.debian.org/~terpstra/message/20030924.002544.1f7d5160.en.html> > (where it is stated that if the source has been lost, binary is the > preferred form of modification, which could eventually match the Sagem > case) It is possible, yes, but this generally only occurs with software for which either the original author has no source anymore, or the original author is not reachable. >>And the incredibly gargantuan keep non-free proposal thread: >>http://people.debian.org/~terpstra/thread/20040129.052350.5b5e7192.en.html > > It's 3am, I won't read that one! ;) :) >>And finally: >>http://www.debian.org/vote/2004/vote_003 and >>http://www.debian.org/vote/2004/vote_004 > > Hmm that's a strong commitment of Debian, and I can't argue against > that. > > Anyway, my initial goal was only to report some history of Sagem with > this driver, and stating that Pierre Machard cann't reply to this right > now. > > I'm really sorry I re-started a long-discussed troll again, and I'm sad > Debian won't provide support for a lot of hardware in a close future. You aren't trolling; yours was a legitimate question that just happened to be answered previously. Debian-legal has a very long "case history", which is often referenced in future decisions; this approach creates a steep learning curve for people who just want to send debian-legal a question. Regulars have the advantage of knowing more of the context and therefore being able to search past discussions more effectively. As for the proliferation of hardware with non-free firmware, that is highly unfortunate, but it seems as though it may continue for the near future; hopefully this problem will be avoidable eventually, either through more "open" hardware or through replacements such as LinuxBIOS. - Josh Triplett
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