[Mageia-dev] Non-free firmwares in installer

Thu Mar 24 11:48:22 CET 2011

On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 11:39, Wolfgang Bornath <molch.b at googlemail.com> wrote:
+> But I don't think it would be a good idea to include non-free contents
+> in the distribution ISOs at all. That this assumed majority does not
+> care about the issue does not mean we should not care either. We
+> should rather stress the point.
+>
+> We already made such a difference by using different repositories, we
+> not continue this in our "product line"? We use a different repo for
+> non-free, we also should use a different ISO for non-free.
+
+Well, that's precisely debatable (and why I'll try to setup a relevant
+survey through marcom). The ISO can be seen as a static commodity
+storage; that it holds core and nonfree makes no such difference as
+that those two media are available from the network without
+discrimination.
+
+So yes, the ISO in itself would not be free anymore; but as long as
+the install process does not pick into the nonfree media unless the
+user asks to, what does it make an issue (not that I have no idea
+about that, just that I'd like to see it expressed again from a
+different POV of mine - and that will help for the survey definition
+too).
+
+And that would make the case for a consistent installing experience
+that, no matter you're doing an exclusively ISO-based install or a
+network-based install, you get through the same steps (with a
+consistent opt-in or opt-out, clearly explained). It would only happen
+that non-free media is available locally if asked for.
+
+The alternative, if we're not to mix things on the static media, is to
+have distinct ISOs: free and nonfree/tainted ones. Times the format:
+DVD/CD/arch/USB through which we would have to decide to ease:
+building, qa and distribution (we will have to choose a default one to
+provide to visitors on the download page for instance).
+
+
+Romain
+