Re: Question in respect to GNU/Lnux affiliation
On Sun, Mar 14 2010, Russ Allbery wrote:
> The Hickeys <hickeys@nbnet.nb.ca> writes:
>
>> How come the GNU/Linux site does not have Debian on its free
>> distribution list, and makes no mention of Debian at all it seems? Is
>> this because Debian does not adhere to the GNU/Linux "Free Software
>> Definition"?
>
> There have been a variety of different reasons over the years, but the
> primary ones, the ones that are unlikely to change, and the reasons why
> the Debian listing was removed in the first place as I understand it are:
>
> * Debian supports the non-free archive section even though it isn't part
> of Debian proper and provides information about it and links to it.
>
> * Debian does not follow the level of discipline that the FSF wants to
> follow about never linking to non-free software or non-free software
> companies. The project "promotes" such software in some ways by the
> criteria used by the FSF.
Also, the project has decided that the FSF promotes software
which is non-free (mostly software that happens to be documentation)
and treats it as such. So, fro Debian's perspective, the FSF want s
Debian to execie such discipline in a selective manner (the selection
happening by Debian ignoring it's own definitions, and hewing to the
FSF's definitions).
manoj
--
Paul Revere was a tattle-tale.
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.golden-gryphon.com/>
4096R/C5779A1C E37E 5EC5 2A01 DA25 AD20 05B6 CF48 9438 C577 9A1C
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