Re: Proposal: Source code is important for all works in Debian, and required for programmatic ones
On Fri, 25 Aug 2006, Enrico Zini wrote:
> In this view, I see two problems with your GR:
>
> 1. It needs a separate vote to affirm "we happen to need it".
Yes, that's by design. IMO such a exception to the SC/DFSG should be
addressed explicitely by a GR doing exactly that and specifically
setting aside the source requirements for specific works (or classes
of work) in main.
> 2. It would make the exception etch-specific, just like we
> previously made a sarge-specific exception, and now we have to
> vote on the same issue again.
I feel this issue is subtly different from the sarge question, but
regardless, since it's something that compromises our ethics, I think
it's good for us to revisit the decision each time and put pressure on
ourselves to resolve the problem so that we don't have to compromise.
Plus, we have to have a few good topics to flame about or the lists
get boring.
> I understand that the urgent issue is "are we ok in having
> sourceless firmware in etch?", and I think it's a waste of time to
> vote a GR that doesn't address that.
The current GR is asking "Does the Social Contract/DFSG require source
for programmatic works in main which do not run on the CPU?" as
opposed to this question. I believe the answer to the current GR's
question is yes, which is why I proposed this amendment.
I agree that the question you're interested in answering is the more
important question, which, so far, is the question which has not been
asked or a GR proposed to deal with. [Presumably, it is to be proposed
if my option succeeds.] In framing my amendment, I have assumed that
this question was orthogonal, and so I've not dealt with it.
Don Armstrong
--
All bad precedents began as justifiable measures.
-- Gaius Julius Caesar in "The Conspiracy of Catiline" by Sallust
http://www.donarmstrong.com http://rzlab.ucr.edu
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