[DS-discuss] Re: debian and rms

[Ramanan Selvaratnam]

Rahul Sundaram wrote:

> hi
>
>
>  
>
> > 'RMS provided us with this update on GNU/LinEx: /The
> > developers told me 
> > that GNU/LinEx included only free software, but
> > after this interview was 
> > published various people have checked it and found
> > non-free programs in 
> > it. I therefore cannot recommend GNU/LinEx at
> > present. I hope that this 
> > problem will be corrected./'
> >
> >    
>
> the footnote makes it even worse. now there is not a
> single distro he can recommend to anyone. 
yep. not single stable distro AFAIK.

> i have seen
> people moving into debian because they want to be more
> associated with ' free software' even when it doesnt
> make sense at all. 
>
>
> there was issues in the interview that rms didnt
> correct up later. 
>
> 1) rms mentioned that gnu doesnt link with debian
> because of non free software descriptions in debian. a
> quick search found that it was not true.

http://tinyurl.com/lo7o

lists the output of search by the description 'java' in
distibution: stable;  section:non-free

> 2) rms didnt bother to mention that debian is as
> paranoid about non free software a much as rms and
> goes to the extension of clearly segregating between
> them and has 'vrms' package would check for the
> existance of non free software in the system. This is
> as far as things can get for now
>
> lets take up this scenario
>
> I couldnt get good enough replacements for java, flash
> and shockwave stuff on the net. I wouldnt mind
for both flash and shockwave there are binaries to download and 
installation instructions on the web.
Search through [google.com/linux].

> installing a flash player plugin for my aunt if she
> wants to send a e greeting to her cousin in Linux. I
> wouldnt do it personally though. I would send a
> personal email instead :-). i cant really talk about
> freedom with souce code to my aunt can i?
I am constantly surprised by the varied variety of fans of the 
principals behind free software.
Have you discussed the underlying issues with her?

Best regards,
Ramanan