> > Yes, that's what I was told. I was also told that OpenBSD's ports
> > system includes non-free programs. Is that accurate too?
>
> Strictly speaking, no. If you unpack ports.tar.gz
> you will find a bunch of makefiles, packing lists,
> & c., all of which are free.
I should more precisely have said that the OpenBSD ports system
includes instructions for fetching, building and installing specific
non-free programs. I usually simplify that to "includes" because I
figured anyone who knows about the ports system understands those
details, and because they don't change anything.
It contains URL's to non-free software, and free Makefiles that
knows how to build that non-free software. But the entire ports
tree has no non-free software in it at all.
Does that make it non-free?
Even giving the URLs has the effect of referring people to those
non-free programs. It gives those non-free programs legitimacy,
and thus contradicts the idea that "software should be free".
Are all operating systems non-free then, because they can be used
to write free Makefiles which compile non-free software?
No, that's a totally different question.
Q1: could your system support a port to install non-free program FOO.
Q2: does your system come with a port to install FOO.
The answer to Q1 is always yes. I'm concerned with Q2.
