Re: When can we expect a version 1.0 of the GNU Operating System?

[Felipe López]

On 21/11/14 03:28, Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:

Hi Alfred,

> The priority of the GNU project has always been to free users, not to
> develop the GNU system.  Since we have a free system, our priorities
> are to work on furthering the goal of freedom for all computer users.

The Web site of the GNU Project emphasizes how important freedom is for
users, but it says that the GNU Project was launched in 1984 to develop
the GNU system and that its primary goal is to offer a Unix-compatible
system that would be 100% free software. [1]

I think that part of that goal is making it easier for the users to
download and install the system built by developers who respect your
freedom and privacy. I'm missing that part, which is important for
furthering freedom in the computing world.

> Right now one of the biggest struggles in front of us is non-free
> Javascript, see https://fsf.org/campaigns/freejs and how companies are
> trying to cripple computers for everyone with "Restricted Boot", see
> http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot.

If I understand correctly, the campaigns to create awareness of the
dangers of proprietary software, formats, protocols, patents and other
similar obstructive concepts is the job of the Free Software Foundation.
[2] The GNU Project is focused on building the GNU Operating System.

> Putting explicit effort on release "the" GNU system would not help any
> of those goals, hence why work and thought on the GNU system is not a
> current priority.  Maybe when all software users are free from the
> shackles of software hoarders we can finish this, but until that day
> there are more pressing issues.

I think you are confusing the goals of the GNU Project with the goals of
the Free Software Foundation.

The release of the GNU Operating System is very important for freedom.

Currently, there are distributions like Trisquel and gNewSense, which
are free according to the GNU guidelines for software distributions. [3]
I have used them and I have contributed to them. But when you have
problems as a user (even as a developer) with those distributions you
usually have to go upstream to deal with developers, users, software,
documentation, and forums that don't care about freedom.

The release of the GNU Operating System (no matter the version) would
create a more convenient situation. It will be important for free
software users and for the potential free software users who come across
the campaigns of the FSF, for those who attend the speeches of RMS and
other free software developers, or those who go knock on your door
asking for help with their computers.

With a release of an official GNU Operating System a better computing
environment would be available for the whole world. So it does help
achieve the goals of the GNU Project and the goals of the FSF.

I don't understand why you think otherwise,


[1] https://gnu.org/gnu/about-gnu.html
[2] https://www.fsf.org/about/
[3] https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html

-- 
Luis Felipe López Acevedo
http://sirgazil.bitbucket.org/

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