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Re: Changing how we handle non-free firmware



Bart Martens <bartm@knars.be> writes:

> Yes, let's do that, thanks. So here is the adapted proposal C:
>
> =================================
>
> The Debian project is permitted to make distribution media (installer images
> and live images) containing non-free software from the Debian archive available
> for download alongside with the free media in a way that the user is informed
> before downloading which media are the free ones.
>
> =================================

Seconded.

> The modification:
> Old: containing packages from the non-free section of the Debian archive
> New: containing non-free software from the Debian archive
>
> The old phrase was misunderstood as if this proposal would be opposing the
> addition of a new section named non-free-firmware. The new phrase better
> reflects that software in section non-free-firmware is also covered.
>
> Then why not simply mention section non-free-firmware? Well, this proposal is
> meant to be more future proof. This proposal is applicable to an installer
> using the non-free-firmware section, and also to the existing non-free
> installer. And to any future designs of non-free installers.
>
> My subjective comparison of the available proposals so far:
>
> - Proposal A replaces the free installer by one containing non-free firmware.
> - Proposal B gives the free installer less visibility than the non-free one.
> - Proposal C keeps the free installer and no longer hides the non-free ones.
> - Proposal D would be equivalent to NOTA in my understanding.

I see C, D and NOTA as equivalent.  I think the term "hidden" is as
helpful to the discussion as talking about "official" images.  The terms
confuse things rather than clarify.  I believe that anything the Debian
project publishes is official and also not hidden.  Perhaps the only
useful use of "hidden" is when talking about security advisories or
patches under embargo.  I also believe that what the Debian project
publish is a superset of what makes up the Debian system.  What we mean
is probably that the non-free images are hard to find today, but that's
just cosmetics as far as I am concerned.  I find ANY non-x86 installer
image hard to find and "hidden" on the current www.debian.org web page.

/Simon

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