On Dec 13, 2007 2:52 PM, Richard Stallman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > If OpenBSD could spin off the ports system (perhaps people could put > it on the Pirate Bay), and break off connection with it, then it would > cease to convey any message from OpenBSD to the users. Then I could > recommend OpenBSD while not recommending its ports system. Currently, > that option does not exist. >
I have OpenBSD running on my machine, but I do not use the ports tree. Therefore the option of having OpenBSD without ports exists. You could still recommend OpenBSD except for its ports tree. I realise, though, that the reason for you recommending something or not is rather subjective and discussing it usually doesn't lead to anything useful. What I oppose is to say that OpenBSD "recomends" nonfree software. When you say "OpenBSD recommends non-free software" it leads people to think that the project tries to convince people to use non-free software. That's not true at all. The project doesn't support it and it doesn't try to tell the user he should use it. OpenBSD's port system merely acknolowdges the existence of non-free software and makes it easier for the people who chose to install it. That's hardly recommendation. Moreover, and this is subjective highly subjective, I think we all should try to make people's life easier and acknowledge others efforts, even if we think differently. Letting people maintain non-free packages is giving space to people who think differently than the OpenBSD developers. And that's a positive thing.
