On Thu, Aug 24, 2006 at 11:51:51PM -0700, Don Armstrong wrote: >I'd like to propose the following option to the current GR process. > >As I will (starting late sunday PDT) be away for a week and a few days >at Burning Man,[i] I will be unable to appropriately respond to >corrections and suggested amendments during that time. However, I will >do so immediately at my return. Seconded, with or without clause D. >====================================================================== > >The Free Software movement is about enabling users to modify the works >that they use on their computer; about giving users the same >information that copyright holders and upstream developers have. As >such, a critical part of the Free Software movement is the >availability of source (that is, the form of the work that a copyright >holder or developer would use to actually modify the work) to users. >This makes sure that users are not held hostage by the whims (or lack >of interest or financial incentive) of upstreams and copyright >holders. > >Different types of works have different forms of source. For some >works, the preferred form for modification may not actually be >digitally transferable.[1] For others, the form that originally was >preferred may have been destroyed at some point in time, and is no >longer available to anyone. However, to the greatest extent >possible,[2] the availability of source code to users is a critical >aspect of having the freedom to modify the software that is running >upon ones computer. > >Recognizing this, the Debian Project: > > A. Reaffirms that programmatic works distributed in the Debian > system (IE, in main) must be 100% Free Software, regardless of > whether the work is designed to run on the CPU, a subsidiary > processing unit, or by some other form of execution. That is, > works must include the form that the copyright holder or upstream > developer would actually use for modification. > > B. Strongly recommends that all non-programmatic works distribute > the form that the copyright holder or upstream developer would > actually use for modification. Such forms need not be distributed > in the orig.tar.gz (unless required by license) but should be > made available on upstream websites and/or using Debian project > resources. > > C. Reaffirms its continued support of users whose hardware (or > software) requires works which are not freely licensed or whose > source is not available by making such works available in > non-free and providing project resources to the extent that > Debian is capable of doing so. > > D. Requests that vendors of hardware, even those whose firmware is > not loaded by the operating system, provide the prefered form for > modification so that purchasers of their hardware are can > exercise their freedom to modify the functioning of their > hardware. > > >1: Consider film negatives, or magnetic tape in the case of audio > recordings. > >2: Here it must be emphasized that we refer to "technically possible" > or "possible for some party" as opposed to "legally possible for > Debian". We also assume digital distribution, and do not attempt to > require the distribution of physical objects. > >======================================================================= > > >Obvious points for discussion: > >1. I would really like to be able to commit to some form of > installation support for users who need to be able to use non-free > firmware to install their system; some more work is needed in d-i > land, though to make sure that this is separated out and that it's > trivial to have a Free system, and know that what you're > installing/using/distributing is Free Software. > >2. Distributing the huge source forms for non-programmatic works is > going to be a problem. I don't think they're needed in the > orig.tar.gz, because that would needlessly bloat the archive, and > it's probably not required unless the works are copylefted. > However, we should make an effort to encourage upstreams to make > them available and likewise make them available to our users. [Even > if it's just in people.debian.org/~you/ or similar and mentioned in > the copyright file, it'd be a good step.] > >3. If there is substantial objection to D, I will probably remove it; > however firmware, whether we happen to distribute it or not, is a > hazard to user's freedom to modify the functioning of their > computers. > >4. Finally, if in the context of the release of etch, we need to > compromise our ideals and accept programmatic works without source, > we should do so by specifically exempting them from DFSG 2 for the > purpose of releasing etch by a GR which needs to meet the 3:1 > requirement instead of attempting to define ourselves into such a > position, especially when source code is clearly a desirable thing > to have from our users and our perspective. > > >Don Armstrong > >i: At Big Time; usually somewhere around 9:30 and Hope (outer ring) >with multiple domes (big-ish to small) and a few mobile domes as well >in case someone wants to find me. ;-) >-- >"There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the >right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself." > -- Bach > >http://www.donarmstrong.com http://rzlab.ucr.edu Aníbal Monsalve Salazar -- http://v7w.com/anibal
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