On 02/11/2012 06:12 PM, [email protected] wrote:
for Free Software enthusiasts like us (just disable the non-free repository and refuse to load the proprietary modules), serves for old computers, source based with build-dep, etc.
Trisquel also does all of that, no? Without having to disable anything. :-) I've been using Debian, Ubuntu, and Trisquel in the past 5 years, and switch back and forth a lot. But I think that since Trisquel 'refuses' nonfree software, then it's a distribution that deserves our efforts. The problem with accepting distros that include nonfree software is that it prevents, 1) economically rewarding hardware manufacturers that release free firmware/drivers 2) the development of free alternative drivers and applications when there's currently none
The more you tolerate nonfree software, the more it creeps into your life. I've seen folks who used to use a GNU/Linux distros with nonfree software, then more nonfree software, then slowly switched to Mac OS X (because they can use the terminal as well and benefit from many of the same programs...). Since I've seen this happen, I'm convinced accepting some nonfree software will sooner or later lead to the crumbling of the (fragile) free software ecosystem as we know it now. I'm also convinced that the reason we are struggling with so much nonfree firmware and drivers these days is because of the complacency of a wide range of the GNU/Linux users with them.
If you need a functionality/program that's only available as nonfree software, code it yourself or find someone to do it for you. If you don't know how to code, then learn! :-) We can't just expect or wait for freedom, we have to build it! Making exceptions is making freedom the exception.
