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Re: Moving contrib and non-free of master.debian.org



On Mon, 21 Jun 1999, Wichert Akkerman - Debian project leader wrote:

> I already mentioned a while ago that I think that the distinction
> between main and contrib & non-free is becoming less clear, both
> to users and developers.

Personally I think that this is a very poor proposal. Instead of
addressing the problem you are presenting a technical solution to a part
of a problem. Why not rephrase your proposal so that it would require a
solution like your original proposal.

For instance, your proposal is too specific because it does not provide
any guidance for what to do with non-us, the web pages, bug system, user
web pages or APT.

The only more general proposal I can think of that would yeild the effect
that the original sought is something like..

--
Debian shall not use it's machines or resources to distribute software
that fails the DFSG. Debian will not accept any packages that fail the
DFSG or support and projects producing non-DSFG complient software. Debian
web pages and miscellaneous other software will refrain from indexing or
otherwise referencing non-DFSG software.
--

What you have proposed will end up about half way to three quarters of the
way to that full statement, you might as well finish the job, and really
that is what the vote will be about, not about a 'archive split'.

Incidently, as an aside.. to anyone who thinks that this would just be a
simple creation of a new host.. No, it isn't. In discussions it's pretty
much come out that it would be run by a different ftpmaster team, it would
have it's own upload arranagment and it's own mirror arranagement, we'd
need to find sponsorship and hardware to run it, etc. APT would no longer
list non-free components and would make no mention that they even
existed, etc.

Sadly I fear that there will rage a whole debate on if non-free.debian.org
represents enough of a difference from dists/stable/non-free. I would also
direct everyone to read the -private thread that came up some time ago on
this very subject. 

Jason


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