[Mageia-dev] Removal of non-free firmware from core section

Thu Nov 10 16:02:58 CET 2011

xi a écrit :
+> Wolfgang Bornath wrote:
+>> 2011/11/10 Frank Griffin <ftg at roadrunner.com>:
+>>> On 11/10/2011 02:25 AM, Johnny A. Solbu wrote:
+>>>> In other words, you would prefer to have non-free drivers to remain 
+>>>> in the
+>>>> "core" tree because otherwise some hardware may not work? (Did i 
+>>>> understand
+>>>> you correctly?)
+>>> If we're going to have core and non-free to begin with, then 
+>>> non-free stuff
+>>> shouldn't be in core.  That being said, it isn't the problem here.  The
+>>> problem is that non-free isn't as available as core.  It should be, 
+>>> based on
+>>> prompting the user during install.  Those who want a totally free 
+>>> system
+>>> that lacks non-free functionality just have to say no.
+>>>
+>>> If it makes a philosophical difference, then have no default and 
+>>> require the
+>>> user to explicitly answer yes or no, and get treated accordingly.  
+>>> Putting
+>>> non-free stuff in core is an attempted solution to the problem that 
+>>> enabling
+>>> and using non-free in an installed core-only system is much more 
+>>> complicated
+>>> than it ought to be.  By the time a user boots his installed system,
+>>> non-free stuff should already be there if he wants it there.
+>>
+>> By the time a user boots his installed system he either has the online
+>> repositories already set (after install from liveCD) or is just a
+>> mouse click away from setting them. When the online repos are set the
+>> non-free repo is available if the user wants to have it.
+>>
+> What about if I don't have internet access ?
+>
+> (Typically, in my company, we provided Mandriva DVD for customer with 
+> no internet connection. There were able to get a working system 
+> without any additional trick).
+>
+> Maybe I misunderstood the problem (if so, sorry) :
+> If it is just a matter of asking to user whether or not he wants to 
+> install non free firmware, then just go! But if the user with no 
+> internet access is stuck because of firmware absence, then that's just 
+> stupid!
+>
+> Xavier
+>
++1
+free software is supposed to be about not taking away freedoms ...
+
+-- 
+André
+
+