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Thread: Gobuntu free software??

  1. #31
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    Re: Gobuntu free software??

    Just an update about Gobuntu and what Mark Shuttleworth thinks about it (taken from Mark Shuttleworth - Lifehacker Interview: Productivity and Linux):

    Lifehacker: I'd like to talk a little bit about Gobuntu. I think it has faced some criticism for lacking a realistic user-base. In your own words you had this to say: "Gobuntu will not correctly enable much hardware today—but it exists as a banner for the cause of software freedom and as a reference of what IS possible with a totally rigorous approach." Who do you envision benefiting from this flavor of Ubuntu and when do you think it will be a suitable distribution for widespread adoption?
    Mark Shuttleworth: There are two things that Gobuntu gives us: the first is taking the idea of "freedom" beyond software and into things like the documentation, the media and the content that are increasingly associated with a Linux distribution, and the second is reminding people that there is still some way to go before we have completely open systems. There is a certain amount of closed infrastructure that goes on right at the heart of things: key drivers, firmware and so on. Just as in the old days just as it was a badge of honor to get Linux installed on your computer, it will become a badge of honor if you manage to get Gobuntu working. Everything that doesn't work under Gobuntu is an indication of a piece of work which is needed to make the free software world more complete. I think that's a useful reference point.


    I totally agree with him.

  2. #32
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    Re: Gobuntu free software??

    Quote Originally Posted by Anthem View Post
    Then why doesn't Stallman like them?

    Please don't take this as a troll, I really don't understand. Stallman has always refused to endorse Debian... why is that?
    Stallman had two separate run in's with Debian.

    Debian's definition of freedom was so restrictive that Stallman's documentation for some of his projects (which are not GPL, but under a separate documentation license that is redistributable but not modifiable) wasn't free enough.

    In the debain definition of freedom (part of thier social contract), that wasn't really free, so they went back and forth about logos and documentation and what not. I believe that it actually delayed the release of Debian Sarge while the debain developers voted on whether or not to stick to their guns. (they decided to impose those stronger restrictions later if at all)

    Also, Stallman once applied to become a debain developer. But, the application process was so slow and so elitist that he got sick of waiting and told them to get a life.

    I got both of those tid-bits out of a book called "The Debian System" by "Martin F Krafft" (p44-45 and p -- which, by the way, I highly recommend to anyone who wants to know more about ubuntu. It goes way into apt and all kinds of other interesting stuff. I learned about debfoster and deborphan in that book, and they are actually quite handy.

    Now, I dont know that stallman actually "hates" Debian, they just have a bit of a rocky past. But, he's had an interesting past with a lot of projects. And a lot of projects are coming around to his way of thinking (take java for instance)
    Last edited by brentoboy; September 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 PM.

  3. #33
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    Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa

    Re: Gobuntu free software??

    Quote Originally Posted by Anthem View Post
    Then why doesn't Stallman like them?

    Please don't take this as a troll, I really don't understand. Stallman has always refused to endorse Debian... why is that?
    I went to a talk Stallman gave today. While walking over to have lunch after his talk, I asked him about using Debian. He said that he doesn't like it because they have repositories for non-free software.

    His general philosophy goes far beyond software. He says that he believes we should share with each other. Proprietary software is a way to control other people, even if it is provided at no monetary cost. And he's a very strong believer in freedom.

    He admonished me several times to become more politically active since I'm retired and have lots of free time. I responded that I'm weighing that with the desire to enjoy my retirement years.

    He's a very interesting person. It was great fun to finally meet him in person and hear some of his ideas first hand.

    One of the things that is very clear is that "free" has many interpretations.
    Intel i7-920; Nvidia GT 220, 1GB; MSI X58 Pro-E; 6GB DDR; 64-bit mode.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Re: Gobuntu free software??

    I'll try Gobuntu on my laptop as well. I've tried gNewSense before and it worked fine, at least for work. The only problem were the outdated (free) packages from Ubuntu 6.06. This is a problem I hope Gobuntu will solve.
    I already have almost no non-free sofware installed in my laptop, AFAIK (and vrms) only java (which is becoming free) and the Firefox flash plugin which Gnash willl replace.
    Debian GNU/Linux user

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