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Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages
From: |
Marek Aaron Sapota |
Subject: |
Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages |
Date: |
Fri, 8 Jan 2010 06:20:03 -0500 |
User-agent: |
Mutt/1.5.20 (2009-06-14) |
On Fri, Jan 08, 2010 at 10:30:15AM +0100, Tassilo Horn wrote:
> Marek Aaron Sapota <address@hidden> writes:
>
> Hi Marek,
>
> > It is possible to use only Free Software with Gentoo but it isn't
> > that
> > easy:
> > - packages have non-free dependences, sometimes programs compile
> > fine
> > without them, but they are pulled in anyway
>
> What do you mean with "pulled in". I tried to install a package that
> has a non-free dependency, and portage 2.2 told me it cannot install
> it,
> because this dependency is masked by my license restriction.
I mean that I can not install a package only because it has a non-free
dependency even if it works fine without it - for example X.Org and Wine
pull in non-free fonts. Inconvenience that makes your system less
powerful if you want to only use Free Software.
>
> > - some free "alternatives" are only in additional repositories
>
> Usually, this occurs if a package simply doesn't work for most users,
> or
> no maintainer has been found yet.
Icedtea is in an overlay even if it works perfectly.
>
> > - predefined license groups (for example FSF approved) are not
> > complete
>
> Indeed, currently GPL-1 and LGPL-2 are missing. But that will surely
> be
> fixed as soon as the overall mechanics are stable.
>
> > - some packages have wrong licenses (usually license is named after
> > the
>
> This applies to many modular X11 packages, but work is in progress to
> fix that. And of course, this will never make a non-free package
> installable if you've set your ACCEPT_LICENSE to match only free
> licenses. It will prevent installing those programs although they
> might
> be free. The other way round would be a showstopper, but this way
> it's
> only a little inconvenience.
Indeed - it makes it inconvenient to use only Free Software with Gentoo.
To be a Free Distribution Gentoo would have to show commitment to Free
Software and they clearly don't. They treat the system as complete
including non-free software and that is why using it without non-free
components is inconvenient. Before the system works equally good without
non-free packages I don't see any option of Gentoo being listed. This is
a difference of "user can be free" and "distribution cares that users
are free".
Happy hacking
Marek Aaron Sapota
PS. To clear up I use Gentoo and I use ACCEPT_LICENSE almost since it
got implemented.
pgpC7swsB80oM.pgp
Description: PGP signature
- Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages (was: 'bzr init-repo .' crashes for lack of module bz2. Help, please!), (continued)
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages (was: 'bzr init-repo .' crashes for lack of module bz2. Help, please!), Richard Stallman, 2010/01/05
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages (was: 'bzr init-repo .' crashes for lack of module bz2. Help, please!), Jonas Bernoulli, 2010/01/05
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages (was: 'bzr init-repo .' crashes for lack of module bz2. Help, please!), Richard Stallman, 2010/01/06
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Tassilo Horn, 2010/01/07
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Richard Stallman, 2010/01/07
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Marek Aaron Sapota, 2010/01/07
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Tassilo Horn, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages,
Marek Aaron Sapota <=
- Message not available
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Tassilo Horn, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Marek Aaron Sapota, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Tassilo Horn, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Marek Aaron Sapota, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Yavor Doganov, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Marek Aaron Sapota, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Tassilo Horn, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, David Kastrup, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Tassilo Horn, 2010/01/08
- Re: Gentoo GNU/Linux and non-free packages, Richard Stallman, 2010/01/08