GNU (was Re: Decentralized reliable instant messaging?)

["Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net>]

Hi,

Darac Marjal wrote:
> I'm surprised that Grub (A GNU program) deigns to load Windows :)

If GNU can get people into using GNU software without giving up its
core values, then it normally does.
E.g. there is absolutely no ban on offering GNU software for proprietary
OSes.

The FSF does not force GNU programs to fully follow the political goals
of FSF. The programs shall, however, not work against those goals.
  https://www.gnu.org/help/evaluation.html

Distributing, advising, or easing installation of non-free software
is considered to be against the goals. On the other hand if GNU was
still waiting for The Hurd to become a usable kernel, then we all would
sit at M$ PCs and iMac polycarbonate sculptures.
So the FSF as a compromise promotes GNU/Linuxes which are a bit more
dogmatic than Debian:
  https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.en.html

The criticism against Debian is in
  https://www.gnu.org/distros/common-distros.en.html
Nevertheless there are several Debian people active in GNU packages.

General reasoning for FSF positions is collected in
  https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html


Have a nice day :)

Thomas