RE: Notice: GR to remove non-free support from Debian

[Syrus Nemat-Nasser <syrus@shiba.ucsd.edu>]

On Thu, 8 Jun 2000, Moore, Paul wrote:

> From: Brad [mailto:lists@anomie.ods.org]
> > 
> > While getting rid of non-free is a noble goal, i don't feel 
> > that Debian
> > can do it now without losing support from some parts of the Free
> > Software community (look at the reaction over KDE, and then think of
> > Netscape, LyX, etc etc etc) and without losing a good measure of
> > functionality. i also question the removal of software that is open
> > source but not DFSG free because of restrictions on commercial sale.
> 
> I agree with this sentiment. Debian is by far my preferred Linux
> distribution, but the "DFSG free or nothing" attitude is a little hard-core
> for me. I don't see any problem with segregating non-DFSG-free stuff from
> the fully DFSG-free software, but rejecting it altogether from Debian does
> little to help.

Pardon me, but why do you folks think you will no longer have access to
Debianized packages of this non-free software? These packages would simply
have to be managed outside of the official Debian infrastructure. It does
not have to be a commercial operation. I use LyX a lot. I also use a lot
of other software packages that are not DFSG-free. However, LyX will
eventually be GPL clean when it can link against GTK. Other packages may
follow suit because the developers want to be included inside Debian.

Also, it is likely that KDE 2.X will be included in main as well.

Thanks. Syrus.

-- 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Syrus C Nemat-Nasser, PhD    |  Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials
UCSD Department of Physics   |  UCSD Department of Mechanical
<syrus@ucsd.edu>             |    and Aerospace Engineering