Dmitry Smirnov <[email protected]> wrote: > As FSF supporter I share their passion to fight non-free in any form. > I recognise the harmful nature of non-free and I wish we could be > completely > liberated from non-free. > > To me FSF position towards Debian feels unfair because of great effort > we > all dedicate to keep non-free away from users and from the main > project. > > Here I'd like to emphasise few thoughts: > > * We protect freedom when we can but survival goes first. > > Let me explain this point. GPL aims to protect freedoms but in some > cases > restrictions imposed by GPL may threaten the very existence of > project.
Could you expand on this point? I have probably missed something that explains the next few lines. > FSF recognises such cases and as a compromise they created LGPL just > to guarantee some essential rights but not more. > * It allows us to have a place for GFDL-licensed FSF's documentation. > > One can argue that documentation is merely a convenience but I'm > convinced it > is a necessity. As noted elseware, this can be viewed or downloaded while online. > * Censoring information is not Debian's job. We can be considered > neutral in > regards to non-free software when we inform about it but leave > decision to > user. Particularly in installer the dialog about availability of > non-free > network driver is significant for project's survival because without > 'non-free' section actually helps to protect freedom by containing and > controlling non-free software. At least whatever non-free we must containing and controlling? > I like to know my non-free components and I receive a weekly reminders > about > non-free I have, sent by lovely 'vrms' utility. This luxury I wouldn't > have > without 'non-free' section in Debian. Unfortunate example of proprietary vrm does very simple checks on the package control data to see if its non free, packages have to mark themselves as non-free for it to pick them up. > printer driver demonstrates lack of control over non-free software > installed > not from repository. I don't even know where HP wizard installed its > blob. probably /var/lib/hplip, but if you want to be sure confirm with the source. FTR, this is a known issue; Debian bug 451502. (thinking about it this should place it on he non fsdg list, i wonder if it is or not). [trimming th rest] thanks kk _______________________________________________ Fsf-collab-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/listinfo/fsf-collab-discuss
