Re: Proposal - Defer discussion about SC and firmware until after the Etch release
On Thu, Sep 21, 2006 at 01:22:24AM +0200, Frans Pop wrote:
> On Tuesday 12 September 2006 13:04, MJ Ray wrote:
> > Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl> wrote: [...]
> > > to the removal from the distribution (main) of "software" that could be
> >
> > Please, drop the scare quotes on software.
>
> No, I don't think so. There are people who feel that everything that is not
> hardware is software and this seems to be the current definition of the
> Social Contract.
> There are others who feel that the world is not black and white, but that
> there are other categories, or that least that there are categories who do
> deserve a less strict treatment than real code. These categories include
> images, documentation and firmware.
Here you are failing in the same error as Steve did, and you remember that he
retired his GR probably in big part because of the rejection of such
redefinitions.
firmware are software, even if you insist calling it data or whatever. As a
firmware writter i can guarantee you that thisis indeed the case in most
scenarios. One could argue that register dumps are not software, but even then
iwould be doubtful of it.
Now, you may argue that not all classes of software are equal, and that some
must be allowed in main even though they are non-free, and so on, even though
we have the non-free section, which accordying to our SC is the place where we
promise to support our users who need part of non-free software, including
firmware. Well, this is a reasonable way of arguing, even though a 3:1
majority of DDs voted to reaffirm the social contract changes in the pre-sarge
elections, and this arguing is clearly in opposition of this.
So, any dicussion on this to be honest has to aknowledge the fact that those
are software, and then discuss which classes of software should be excempted
from the DFSG and be put in main, and why.
Pleasee go back and read all the discussion about this that where hold during
your vacations, and please take into consideration older proposals which
basically say the same as yours, instead of engaging in 'filibustering'
tactics like Manoj would say :)
Friendly,
Sven Luther
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