[Mageia-dev] Non-free firmwares in installer

Thu Mar 24 20:59:15 CET 2011

Romain d'Alverny a écrit :
+>
+> 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.
+>
+
+exactly.
+Adding these non-free drivers -- for which a reliable free equivalent 
+doesn't exist -- would take a very small part of the dvd, which would 
+thus remain essentially free.
+(We could even call it "essentially free, with some proprietary drivers."
+This approach would remove the need to produce another iso to fill the 
+gap caused by missing drivers.
+
+And options during installation will allow purists to avoid installing 
+any non-free drivers -- at the expense of having a system that doesn't 
+fully function, of course.  But that is their legitimate choice.
+
+At the same time, those wanting their system to work "out of the box" 
+will be satisfied as well.
+
+> 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.
+
+good point.  This will make support easier as well.
+
+> 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).
+
+I think we should avoid unnecessary complexity.
+
+As well, a single dvd (for each of 32 & 64 bit) will avoid the problem 
+of users downloading the free dvd only to find that they need the 
+missing drivers.
+
+But those really concerned could easily produce a non-official dvd 
+without the few non-free drivers.
+
+another 2 cents :)
+
+>
+> Romain
+
+-- 
+André
+