Re: [gNewSense-users] gobuntu or gnewsense?

[Dave Crossland]

On 26/07/07, Kevin Dean <address@hidden> wrote:
> I think it may be unfair to call Gobuntu a "stooge" distro but I think
> it may unintentionally do some of the things you mentioned.

Canonical have said they will be including more proprietary drivers in
Gustsy around the time Gobuntu was first announced; its a fair criticism imo.

> I believe Mark Shuttleworth has a LEGITIMATE desire to put Free
> Software on every computer in Ubuntu, but I also believe he's willing
> to comprimise and use non-free software until there are Free
> replacement.

AFAIK Canonical already distribute and promote Real Player, Opera, and
VMware, and the Linspire CNR stuff that's coming will make things
worse.

> I think Gobuntu is his attempt to bring Free Software developers into
> Ubuntu and achieve that goal.

The goal of compromising on the use non-free software? ;p

> Please, look at that example with a bit of suspended disbelief... I
> don't know if it's possible to seperate the kernel like that but the
> idea stands.

Sounds reasonable to me :-)

> I see gNewSense as a project to clean up Dapper to make it free, where
> as I see Gobuntu as a way to clean up future versions of Ubuntu.

Yes

> There's overlap, certainly. Even IF Gobuntu ends up being a stooge
> distro, information can be shared among ALL Free Software projects,
> including ones that may not be, and that benefits Free Software users
> in general.

In terms of *sociopolitics*, its a stooge distro; in terms of
technically building a fully free distro, its a premium contribution
to the cause :-)

-- 
Regards,
Dave