It is "Open Source" but not "Free Software", the main difference being it
suggests non-free plugins and includes many anti-features. I actually had
wanted Google Chrome and/or Chromium myself when I first switched to
GNU/Linux.
Whereas would be possible to do, large amounts of code would need to be
reviewed and removed.
FYI - Free vs. OpenSource:
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html
Lintian Report also exposed several licensing violations:
https://lintian.debian.org/full/[email protected]#chromium-browser_38.0.2125.101-3
And here's a few anti-features -
* Installation-ID - A copy of Google Chrome includes a generated installation
number which will be sent to Google after the installation and the first
usage. It gets deleted when Chrome checks first time for updates.If Chrome is
received as part of a promotional campaign, it may generate a unique
promotion number which is sent to Google on the first run and first use of
Google Chrome.
* Suggestions - Depending on the configuration, each time you put something
in the address line,this information is sent to Google to provide
suggestions.
* Error Pages - Depending on the configuration, if you have typed a false
address in the adress bar, this is sent to Google and you get an error
message from Google's servers.
* Error Reporting - Depending on the configuration, details about crashes or
failures are sent Google's servers.
* RLZ Tracking - This Chrome-function transmits information in encoded form
to Google, for example, when and where Chrome has been downloaded.
* Google Updater - Chrome installs a updater, which loads at every Windows in
background.
* URL-Tracker - Calls depending on the configuration five seconds after
launch the Google homepage opens in background
* non-Free Adobe Flash plugin
For those reasons and more, I don't think including Chromium would be a good
idea. Now if someone wants to take on Chromium-Libre and patch it, I would be
interested. :)
