Why does the GNU foundation promote uncommon distros?

[sffvba[e0rt]

Linus Torvalds - "So I'm pretty well-known for not exactly being a huge fan of the FSF and Richard Stallman, despite the fact that I obviously love the GPLv2 and use it as the license for all my projects that I care about."

Richard Stallman - "The fact that Torvalds says "open source" instead of "free software" shows where he is coming from. I wrote the GNU GPL to defend freedom for all users of all versions of a program. I developed version 3 to do that job better and protect against new threats. Torvalds says he rejects this goal; that's probably why he doesn't appreciate GPL version 3. I respect his right to express his views, even though I think they are foolish. However, if you don't want to lose your freedom, you had better not follow him."

Yeah, there's no awkwardness between them.

The FSF have never had anything against linux := Richard Stallman has never had anything against Linus Torvalds

[Hylas de Niall]

BLAG, Trisquel, or Utoto

I've no idea why they are still promoting BLAG at all. It is a dead distro that was based Fedora.
I believe the BLAG folks decided that it was easier for folk to BLAGify normal Fedora releases with scripts than to periodically release isos themselves.

It seems Distrowatch still lists BLAG as well.

[aeyeaws]

umm nevermine

[forrestcupp]

Had there not been GNU ready and working when Linux came along, we would have no Linux. It would have died as soon as Linus found more interesting ways to spend his free time.

That really is a good point.

If the basic Unix toolset with the GNU label attached hadn't existed when Linus was noodling around with his first kernel, we might very well be running one of the BSD's.

I don't know if I'm ready to agree that projects like Gimp, Gnome and GTK are GNU efforts. I'd rather confine things to software actually created by core GNU individuals, e.g., emacs, not accept a project's self-identification with the GNU group as tantamount to GNU creating that software.

I've got no issues with the personal beliefs of RMS, etc. My interest in software is just that: Software. I don't believe choice of development model rises to the level of an ethical or moral problem. Choosing closed or choosing open is the right of any developer, and neither choice has an ethical component.

Well, I wouldn't exclude projects like Gimp from the GNU Project just because they're not developed by the core devs. There are over 1300 individuals who are contributing to the Linux kernel 3.2. Should they not be counted just because their names aren't Linus Torvalds or Greg Kroah-Hartman? When you get into the free software world, everyone counts because according to this philosophy, everyone is free to participate.

However, I completely agree with you about the ethics and morality issue, especially more with the morality. Developers are free to choose their licensing, and they're not inherently immoral just because they chose to go with a proprietary license.

The FSF have never had anything against linux := Richard Stallman has never had anything against Linus Torvalds

Maybe you're right. But I have a couple of thoughts. One, you can't deny they weren't a little peeved when Linux didn't go GPLv3. Two, there are still some hardcore Free Software people who are working on HURD with the hopes of someday being able to ditch Linux.

[sffvba[e0rt]

Maybe you're right. But I have a couple of thoughts. One, you can't deny they weren't a little peeved when Linux didn't go GPLv3. Two, there are still some hardcore Free Software people who are working on HURD with the hopes of someday being able to ditch Linux.

Well it was third-parties that made the GNU/Linux marriage so I am sure there has always been hope to have a complete system that could be ensured to always be made up of only free-software. And lets face it, the world would be much poorer in recursive acronyms if not for the FSF

[forrestcupp]

Well it was third-parties that made the GNU/Linux marriage so I am sure there has always been hope to have a complete system that could be ensured to always be made up of only free-software. And lets face it, the world would be much poorer in recursive acronyms if not for the FSF

Lol. True.