On Fri, Dec 14, 2007 at 03:49:19PM -0500, Richard Stallman wrote:
> > I should more precisely have said that the OpenBSD ports system
> > includes instructions for fetching, building and installing specific
> > non-free programs.
>
> Yes, that would be the truth. What you did say, however,
> is not the truth.
>
> What I said was the same thing, in different words.
The truth about OpenBSD is this:
OpenBSD is 100% free. OpenBSD neither includes nor distributes
non-free software. OpenBSD has a ports tree. It is not part
of the OpenBSD installation system. The OpenBSD ports tree is
100% free. It contains Makefiles, patches and so forth, including
URL's which point to non-free software, and code for installing
non-free software (none of which is included in, or distributed
by, OpenBSD).
You said (about BSD's in general and hence, in particular, about
OpenBSD):
"... all of them include, in their installation
systems---in some cases I believe it's called a
ports system, I don't know if they all use that
term---they all include some non-free programs,
and as a result I can't recommend any of them."
This is not the truth about OpenBSD, in different words; as it
applies to OpenBSD it is an utterly false statement, for at
least two reasons. Above you say 'I should more precisely have
said ...', but this quote is neither unclear nor imprecise.
It is simply false. You should repudiate that falsehood.
Demonstrate that you are actually willing to tell the truth.
How about 'I, Richard Stallman, acknowledge that the software
included in, and distributed by, OpenBSD is 100% free software'?
Please acknowledge publicly the truth about OpenBSD.
> As a courtesy to the OpenBSD developers, and avoid the risk of
> confusion, I will try from now on to state this in a more precise way.
It would have been courteous to learn something about the project
before making false public statements about it. Had you bothered
to assimiliate a few basic facts about OpenBSD you would not have
said anything like what you did about OpenBSD (assuming that you
are inclined to tell the truth when you speak).
I do not know personally any OpenBSD developers, yet I shall have
the temerity to presume that they are proud of the fact that they
produce a completely free operating system, and that not one of
them will swoon with the desire to carry your love child because
you deign, out of courtesy, to make a back-handed comment about
the OpenBSD ports tree in which you are careful to not to tell the
truth that OpenBSD (including the ports tree itself) is 100% free.
Please, just tell the truth about OpenBSD.
