FSF debuts fully-free Ubuntu/Debian variant

[dakini]

Hey, it's not brown.

Actually, it is brown, until you get to the desktop screen, which is blue.
Other than the blue screen and software restrictions, it looks and acts exactly like the Ubuntu on which it's based.

[EdThaSlayer]

At least they are trying to completely create a free operating system. It is true that they will hit some bricks here and there, but they are trying.

[deanlinkous]

And overall usability



Software freedom? Some hardcore zealots

I take that as a personal attack whether or not you used it in a general sense.

It only affects your usability if you USE something that is not supported. Amazing that you use a OS that is 99% about software freedom and yet you seem to demiss the importance of it.

I realize it is a personal shortcoming but I honestly have never figured out why anyone would bothers to use linux if software freedoms are not important to them. But I am veering off topic.

[Klaidas]

I take that as a personal attack whether or not you used it in a general sense.

I didn't try to do that/expect those results. I'm sorry if that offended you.

It only affects your usability if you USE something that is not supported.

I was talking about my own experience, so yes, I guess I do use those unsupported things.

I honestly have never figured out why anyone would bothers to use linux if software freedoms are not important to them.

Linux is interesting. It's fun to learn it. And yes, software freedom wasn't the reason I've chosen Ubuntu - usability, great support, this forums, etc were my main reasons

[zugu]

For me, using such a distribution would render my desktop unusable. I depend on some non-free formats and drivers. However, we NEED such distros around. We need them because we have to have where to turn back to when things go fishy.

Kudos to the developers, testers and whoever else is involved in this.

Offtopic: I always thought Debian was the most free distro around. Never knew they included binary drivers in it.

[BWF89]

Some would say that freedom is more important than hardware support and those people will research hardware before buying and get something that is supported IMO.

"some people" don't make up 99% of the computer using populace. Congratulations, FSF made a distro nobody's going to use. It's redundent to take the most desktop ready distro (Ubuntu) and remove everything that makes it easy to use.

[nalmeth]

"some people" don't make up 99% of the computer using populace. Congratulations, FSF made a distro nobody's going to use. It's redundent to take the most desktop ready distro (Ubuntu) and remove everything that makes it easy to use.

All thats being removed is proprietary binaries for certain hardware, like wireless right?
Everything else should be the same. Synaptic, GNOME, and all the rest of your 'easy to use' tools will still be there.

I will definatley be checking this distro out.

[deanlinkous]

I didn't try to do that/expect those results. I'm sorry if that offended you.

Well I think using the term zealot is derogatory no matter how you slice it. Even if I am a bit (too) zealous! I mean I could say that SOME people are proprietary shills that use a free software product and want nothing more than to turn around and load it with proprietary stuff and turn it into the very thing that they had before. But I would consider that rude and therefore would not say that.

I was talking about my own experience, so yes, I guess I do use those unsupported things.

As was I. It doesn't affect my usability at all.

And yes, software freedom wasn't the reason I've chosen Ubuntu - usability, great support, this forums, etc were my main reasons

As I said, I do not understand that but I respect that it is your reasoning and I would not call you a name or label you based on that reasoning. But I would hope anyone who uses Ubuntu would realize that without software freedoms (GPL) you would not have the choice of Ubuntu. So while you may choose Ubuntu because of what IT provides it is only logical (to me) to also be very aware and respective of the very thing that provides Ubuntu itself.

Just seems to me if you choose something because of what it provides you also have to appreciate the very thing that provides that choice.

Ubuntu was created out of Debian because of someone wanting to do something different with it, the same can be said for gnewsense. What could possibly be wrong with that.

But either way, we cool. If I see the term zealot again I may just break out the term shill.

[deanlinkous]

For me, using such a distribution would render my desktop unusable. I depend on some non-free formats and drivers.

The proper term is that you have chosen to depend on those. Same as we all depend on electricity and so forth now. Is it truly a dependency. NO. We have chosen to depend on those.

But I understand, I couldn't live without electricity either.

[deanlinkous]

"some people" don't make up 99% of the computer using populace.

I never said it did. Ubuntu users also do not make up 99% of the computer using populace and yet you seem to support it and recognize there is a need no matter how small.

Congratulations, FSF made a distro nobody's going to use. It's redundent to take the most desktop ready distro (Ubuntu) and remove everything that makes it easy to use.

FSF didn't make it. I use it. Anyone who makes a distro faces the possibility that nobody is going to use it. So what? If I make a distro (my plan) then I am making it to satisfy what I want. If others choose to use it then that is great. If not, then that is fine. It doesn't invalidate the reason I made it.

Then I guess we should all go back to windows since it provides all kinds of stuff that makes it easy to use.

They didn't remove everything that makes it easy to use. They removed everything that makes it non-free per FSF definition.

Isn't it redundant to take a "free" distro and make a "free" distro from it? That would be the true meaning of redundant. Creating the same thing not something different.