- distributions of the GNU system are specific efforts to, well,
distribute the GNU system as defined by a chosen set of
components. The specific components may vary from distro to
distro, but the system that arises from their combination is
still GNU. Some, lamentably, include some very non-GNU
components, but despite those warts and festering lesions, are
still essentially GNU systems.
A component being very non-GNU doesn't mean that it is a wart. :-)
Rather, non-free software that comprises a GNU system in any form is
the wart.
- I don't know if it makes much sense, then, to talk about an
"official" GNU distribution. We would essentially be saying
"these are the components that we deem to be strictly necessary
to produce the GNU system". But we know it isn't true: many of
those components have perfectly valid free software alternatives;
swapping those components for alternatives would still produce a
free GNU operating system. e.g. swapping openssh for lsh would
still result in a free GNU system.
Indeed!
Well put Brandon!
