Re: non-free but distributable packages and kernel firmware
On Sat, Apr 09, 2005 at 01:17:02AM +1000, Anthony Towns wrote:
>
> I wonder if it would be worth considering a "fsf-free" component that
> offers a Packages file listing packages from non-free with the fsf-free
> tag. Something like that might be non-disruptive and make it simpler for
> the installer and users to deal with some of the more important
> alternative stances on freedom to the DFSG.
Personally I would like that. But making a separate Packages file for
fsf-free raises other questions. Suppose one of the packages with
fsf-free has a dependency on other non-free packages? How handle
that? Would it require a sub policy that fsf-free can only depend on
contib, main and other fsf-free tagged non-free packages? But this
will end up with a hunge, hard-to-maintain hierarchy of non-free tags
of who's allowed to depend on who. Some of that could be automated I
suppose (give every package as liberal tag as possible, once in the
archive they will get stripped according to their dependencies) but it
will end up messy I'm afraid.
Ok, this would be kind of wierd as mostly GFDL would fit in it, but
technically nothing stops it from happening.
I'm more advocating against a separate Packages file here then for the
added complexity.
On an other (funny) note, think about all the changes the vrms package
could implement! Should it follow dfsg or fsf? ;-)
Floris
--
Debian GNU/Linux -- The power of freedom
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