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Re: [gNewSense-users] why we started from the distro we started from


From: Karl Goetz
Subject: Re: [gNewSense-users] why we started from the distro we started from
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:45:51 +1030
User-agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.7 (X11/20060922)

Dave Crossland wrote:
On 20/11/06, Paul O'Malley <address@hidden> wrote:


So I'm not sure that Ubuntu is the best base to chose to take 100% Free.

gNewSense struggles to remove Ubuntu's non-free packages - though the
gNewSense repository meets a basic level of freeness,
WINE/ndiswrapper/etc aside, the 'Add/Remove' interface on the
Applications menu has a 'Show Commecial Applications" tickbox and
prominently displays RealPlayer even though it is not available in the
gNewSense repositories. (I just filed this as a bug :-)

Hm. i thought that was fixed pre 1.0 release.


The real unique thing that you core gNewSense developers have done is
to put a lot of excellent work into removing proprietary firmware from
the Linux kernel. But this will be an ongoing struggle, since it is
included by the kernel.org upstream maintainers, and Ubuntu certainly
will not be helping this effort.

ubuntu wont no, its kinda silly they should have to.
add them yes if they want support, remove them... seems silly

Debian has just been suggested as a 'better base' than Ubuntu, but looking at

http://www.debian.org/vote/2006/vote_007

it appears that this is unlikely to change anytime soon. And Debian's

this isn't the first time debian has voted to put the issue off. it is the first time they have voted to put the issue off with a derived disto freer then them, and rpm based distro (Fedora) looking freer then them.

non-free  repositories will also need to be struggled against.


to cut all(most all) non free from debian:
dont use contrib
dont use non-free

to cut all(most all) non free from ubuntu:
dont use restricted
dont use multiverse
remove things that depend on those from universe.


However, Fedora already has 100% free repositories sorted out,
according to http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FreeSoftwareAnalysis and is
about to cross check this.

Good on them :) hopefully we can make use of their discoverys.


Fedora is still not as free as gNewSense, because it has an explicit
policy of including firmware, like Debian:

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/Guidelines#head-adf31c383612aac313719f7b4f8167b7dcf245d2

but might be freer, because they know what problem packages they have :)


So, I would like to confirm that the firmware gNewSense removes from
Ubuntu is only in the Linux kernel.

and non free in other packages... or i missed your point there.


If this is the case, I would also like to gently tender the suggestion
that gNewSense also consider a Builder for Fedora that ports its 100%
Free Kernel that way.


I think fedora should port it if they want it... the gns+builder dev (singular) has enough on his plate.
kk

--
Regards,
Dave


--
Karl Goetz
User of gNewSense: Free as in Freedom - http://www.gnewsense.org
Australian Ubuntu users team - http://wiki.ubuntu.com/AustralianTeam




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