[Mageia-dev] Mageia repository sections, licenses, restrictions, firmware etc

Wed Oct 13 19:04:12 CEST 2010

2010/10/13 Marc Paré <marc at marcpare.com>:
+>
+> Yes, I have always seen this as a communication problem from the Mandriva
+> documentation. However, it did fit the "at arm's length" legal definition of
+> the installation of these pieces of software. That is to mean that Mandriva,
+> in this case, was not complicit in the installation of that particular
+> software. It was clearly a user decision to install them.
+
++1
+
+It's easy to communicate, it's easy to implement fitting even those
+"dumb" users some people are talking about. Yesterday I installed the
+new Ubuntu 10.10, a window opened near the end of the installation
+process telling me that my hardware may need/use a non-free driver
+which is available online. The text explains about the non-free status
+in simple words and then I was asked if I wanted to activate this
+non-free driver.
+The same can be done with all that codec stuff. A window opens,
+telling the user that he will need some special software to listen to
+MP3s, watch his commercial DVDs, etc. The text explains in simple
+words the legal implications which may or may not apply to his
+country. After that he can decide with a simple mouse click on yes or
+no or "ask later" (if he has no working internet connection at that
+time. If he clicks on "activate", the needed software will be
+downloaded and installed. If he clicks on "ask later" he will be asked
+as soon as the script detects a working internet connection.
+If he has selected "No" and still tries to open a commecrial DVD (or
+whatever) the window ill appear again reminding him why he can't play
+the DVD (or whatever).
+
+Face it: we do not have any other choice but leave it at the user's
+decision. All we can do is make it simple if he chooses to bite the
+bullet.
+