Can you manage to use only free software on your pc ?

[iKonaK]

By free I mean free as in freedom of speech not as in free beer, can GNU/Linux users like you use only free software, whit out any proprietary code like the video drivers, Firefox, Opera, Adobe's flash plug-in, etc.?

[OrbJinzo]

why i like free beer.

[swoll1980]

Flash, and WOW destroy any chance of that for me.

[wannadumpwindows]

It is certainly possible.

Ubuntu has a version called Gobuntu. It's all free software. It's made just for people that want their computers to run on entirely free software.

There are also a few other alternatives.

Have a look here:
http://www.gnu.org/

EDIT: I am not one of the people that uses entirely free software. I'd never make it. To have an enjoyable web experience, it's all but impossible.

[cmay]

sorry to say no. i can not. if i could i would however. i have 5 computers and only one of them uses the restricted drivers for the videocard. and it does that because else elisa wont work. its my media center. my debian installs i never have any restricted anyting installed on. but ubuntu i have to use some things to search the web and be able to see flash and my email provider uses some javascript thinghy for the mail box i have for free there so with out the restricted extras i can not make it function.
i would as said if i could .

[liamnixon]

Possibly, but it's just not a big deal to me. Of course, if I had a decent audio interface that probably wouldn't be possible, but I don't.

I'll stop now, as I don't know where this is going. :P

[Mehall]

If I could deal with 640x480 res. then yes, maybe.

I DO like flash, but the GNU GPL version is coming along nicely.

[bashveank]

I can't. I need to use Apple Aperture for my photography.

Other than that, I don't rely on, but still love to use:
iMovie, Photomatix Pro, FotoMagico, numerous games, Photoshop, Logic Pro, and Flash.

[maybeway36]

I definitely could. The only proprietary app I use is the MP3 decoder (if that counts; plus, most of mu music is in FLAC anyway.) And for Firefox, I could just compile Iceweasel or Icecat, but I don't bother - it's the same app.

[inobe]

If I could deal with 640x480 res. then yes, maybe.

I DO like flash, but the GNU GPL version is coming along nicely.

there is still mesa and flash is free' just not open, free but proprietary :P

though you may suffer from lack of desktop affects :lol:

[Mehall]

there is still mesa and flash is free' just not open, free but proprietary :P

though you may suffer from lack of desktop affects :lol:

It's an nVidia Driver thing

Again, proprietary but free, lol.

Gnash IS coming along, so that will be one scored off the list in a while, and I have a desktop with no nVidia card, nor ATI, so it has no proprietary drivers.

[iKonaK]

there is still mesa and flash is free' just not open, free but proprietary :P

though you may suffer from lack of desktop affects :lol:
Proprietary is in the best situation free of monetary obligation for the customer; the price still came in consumer's acceptance to give away his freedom....
example: look at the "License For Customer Use of NVIDIA Software" (our driver that we happily use)

Customer may install and use one copy of the SOFTWARE on a single computer, and except for making one back-up copy of the Software, may not otherwise copy the SOFTWARE.
^if you have 2 backups you brake the LAW^

No Rental. Customer may not rent or lease the SOFTWARE to someone else.
^how is that free if you can't give it to your friend who hasn't got internet access^
and after they kindly explain you that is a privilege to get a driver that is supported and maintained by the manufacturer...

6.1 No Warranties..
So the thing is, even if you are willingly to give up those freedoms > THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES

I'm sad to say i can't manage to do my thing whit out those awful proprietary software's, in consequence I wanned to know what the community thinks and how or if it manage to work whit out proprietary chains....:(

[Seq]

By free I mean free as in freedom of speech not as in free beer, can GNU/Linux users like you use only free software, whit out any proprietary code like the video drivers, Firefox, Opera, Adobe's flash plug-in, etc.?

If you consider Firefox as non-free (I'm assuming this is the branding thing), then no.

Other than Firefox, yes. Intel Graphics drivers ftw :)

EDIT: Actually, i'll have to check on whatever HAL the ath_pci driver uses.

[wannadumpwindows]

Quote:
Originally Posted by http://www.nvidia.com/object/nv_swlicense.html
No Rental. Customer may not rent or lease the SOFTWARE to someone else.
^how is that free if you can't give it to your friend who hasn't got internet access^
and after they kindly explain you that is a privilege to get a driver that is supported and maintained by the manufacturer...

It doesn't say you can't GIVE it to someone. It says "rent or lease", by which I assume they mean that you can't ask for money in order to give it to someone else, at least that's the way I read it.

[iKonaK]

It doesn't say you can't GIVE it to someone. It says "rent or lease", by which I assume they mean that you can't ask for money in order to give it to someone else, at least that's the way I read it.
Perhaps you're right here but ther's more.... but i'll won't name them all because i have nothing against nvidia and i don't wan't to discriminate her by talking only about it, i'm bothered by proprietary licences and the fact i/we can't practically defend from all of them...:(

[mamamia88]

sometimes to get the best software you have to pay for it

[inobe]

It's an nVidia Driver thing

Again, proprietary but free, lol.

Gnash IS coming along, so that will be one scored off the list in a while, and I have a desktop with no nVidia card, nor ATI, so it has no proprietary drivers.

hardware drivers is an exception' i love nvidia and what they stand for, also the reasoning behind there driver being closed, there is a big difference between apps and drivers.

i can trust nvidia to release a patched driver if security becomes an issue, but as for adobe' good grief' remember the acrobat vulnerability "ouch" thank goodness for opensource readers.......

[Sand & Mercury]

It is certainly possible.

Ubuntu has a version called Gobuntu. It's all free software. It's made just for people that want their computers to run on entirely free software.
Gobuntu has been discontinued, stopped at either 7.10 or 7.04 iirc. They stopped development of it because gNewSense was making more progress and had very similar goals.

Anyway, most of the software I use is free, with the exceptions of Flash & Flash player, and a few games. I could get by using nothing but free software, but I don't see the point really. I'd just be crippling myself, and for what?

[Mehall]

hardware drivers is an exception' i love nvidia and what they stand for, also the reasoning behind there driver being closed, there is a big difference between apps and drivers.

i can trust nvidia to release a patched driver if security becomes an issue, but as for adobe' good grief' remember the acrobat vulnerability "ouch" thank goodness for opensource readers.......

I don't even use Adobe's bloatware on windows, I use Foxit.

[inobe]

I don't even use Adobe's bloatware on windows, I use Foxit.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfedit

that's an awesome app if you like to edit for advanced users, it's a multi platform app.


i don't want to go off topic posting this as i am only trying to help :)

[WatchingThePain]

At present all of my software is free and I'm rockin and rollin.
It's great..thanks synaptic old buddy.
I don't need to buy any software like I used to on windows.
Of course I still pay for the beer.

[happysmileman]

I probably could, but don't.

I use NVidia driver, though their driver sucks balls and I can't get Desktop effects since Upgrading to intrepid, it's a known issue since last year with no fix offered, not even updating to latest Beta, I could probably get on without it, but at least this way I can have some 3d acceleration if needed (just not for desktop effects anymore).

I use Flash, though AFAIK the free options work with youtube and some other video sites and games so that'd be fine.
Generally if I come to a site that's made entirely in flash or that uses it excessively I'll just close the tab and not come back, it's annoying and slow, but youtube and some flash games are nice to have and tolerable.

I have Skype though I can't remember the last time I actually used it.

Other than those I use only Free software (I don't count Firefox as non-free, if I wanted to be picky I could recompile it myself)

[WatchingThePain]

If I want desktop effects it messes up gl so I would have to turn compiz off to play a gl game.
I like billiardsgl so I just keep desktop effects off which sucks.
The graphics and desktop are much better with compiz on.
Had this problem for about a year.
It's the problem that time forgot.
Will compiz and gl ever play together for me?.

p.s tried all the fixes and none worked.

[inobe]

I probably could, but don't.

I use NVidia driver, though their driver sucks balls and I can't get Desktop effects since Upgrading to intrepid, it's a known issue since last year with no fix offered, not even updating to latest Beta, I could probably get on without it, but at least this way I can have some 3d acceleration if needed (just not for desktop effects anymore).



what driver and what card :)


heck' maybe someone here has the answers like an nvidia tech, never know

[lethalfang]

ATI video card driver
Adobe flash
Adobe Acrobat Reader (Evince doesn't print large files right)
MATLAB

[Mehall]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfedit

that's an awesome app if you like to edit for advanced users, it's a multi platform app.


i don't want to go off topic posting this as i am only trying to help :)

I mainly view rather than edit, which is why I don't use it, as Foxit is nice, and I like it's new firefox plugin.

But yes, /off-topic

[gn2]

No I can't get by with only free software, but if it were possible it would be great.

[Stan_1936]

...Gobuntu. It's all free software.....

It's been inactive for a while.

What's the difference between Gobuntu and default Ubuntu(after a fresh install)?

[wolfen69]

there's no way i could go all open source. i'm a multimedia junkie. i need more than ogg and gnash.

[Darkhack]

No. I would like to, but I just need certain features. Here's my vrms output for those whom are interested. For some reason it doesn't detect that I have the proprietary flash installed.



fglrx-control Control panel for the ATI graphics accelerators
human-icon-theme Human Icon theme
linux-generic Complete Generic Linux kernel
linux-restricted-modules- Non-free Linux 2.6.24 modules on x86/x86_64
linux-restricted-modules- Non-free Linux 2.6.24 modules helper script
linux-restricted-modules- Restricted Linux modules for generic kernels
sun-java6-bin Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 (architecture
sun-java6-jre Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 (architecture
sun-java6-plugin The Java(TM) Plug-in, Java SE 6
tango-icon-theme Tango Icon theme
Reason: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License
unrar Unarchiver for .rar files (non-free version)
Reason: Modifications problematic
xorg-driver-fglrx Video driver for ATI graphics accelerators

Non-free packages with status other than installed on nixbox

linux-restricted-modules- ( dei) Non-free Linux 2.6.24 modules on x86/x86_64

13 non-free packages, 1.2% of 1083 installed packages.

[Corfy]

whit out any proprietary code like... Firefox

Um, Firefox doesn't have proprietary code. Granted, they are concerned about their trademark, but that isn't quite the same thing. Anyone can use their code, the only thing is if you change the code, Firefox requires you to change the name of the product. That isn't a proprietary code restriction.

[Shady3D]

games is the only thing left for me

[Calmatory]

Skype and Flash ruin it for me, I guess.

[happysmileman]

what driver and what card :)


heck' maybe someone here has the answers like an nvidia tech, never know

96.43.11 for a GeForce4 440 MX. And A lot of people with older cards have the same problems, but no answers AFAIK, it works pre-intrepid, I think the new Xorg doesn't work with those drivers though, and the new drivers break it

[Jojan]

I have nVidia driver, unrar, some Java stuff and flash on my stationary. I think I could manage on only free for my laptop.

[gnusci]

Well, I did install the NVidia driver to get some compiz animation at the begining, but now I don't give a dumb.... I can use my Ubuntu box without those drivers...

[Dr. C]

If I could deal with 640x480 res. then yes, maybe...

This may have been the case in the days of Warty, but is not the case now. The free as in speech drivers for nVidia cards provide 1920 x 1200 for 2D. One needs the propriety nVidia driver only for 3D.

[cardinals_fan]

Absolutely. I don't choose to - I have Flash and FoxitReader installed. But I could survive without them.

[Tharkun]

Hm...once I can play Oblivion or similar games then yes though I use as much GNU software as I can and still have an enjoyable computer usage.

[sim-value]

fglrx-control Control panel for the ATI graphics accelerators
human-icon-theme Human Icon theme
linux-generic Complete Generic Linux kernel
linux-restricted-modules- Non-free Linux 2.6.24 modules on x86/x86_64
linux-restricted-modules- Non-free Linux 2.6.24 modules on x86/x86_64
linux-restricted-modules- Non-free Linux 2.6.24 modules on x86/x86_64
linux-restricted-modules- Non-free Linux 2.6.24 modules helper script
linux-restricted-modules- Restricted Linux modules for generic kernels
skype Skype - Take a deep breath
sun-java6-bin Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 (architecture
sun-java6-jdk Sun Java(TM) Development Kit (JDK) 6
sun-java6-jre Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 (architecture
sun-java6-plugin The Java(TM) Plug-in, Java SE 6
tangerine-icon-theme Tangerine Icon theme
unrar Unarchiver for .rar files (non-free version)
Reason: Modifications problematic
warsow-data Game data for the ego-shooter Warsow
xorg-driver-fglrx Video driver for ATI graphics accelerators

17 non-free packages, 1.1% of 1599 installed packages.


Why is the Linux kernel restricted ?
And is the Human Icon theme ?!

[Deeta]

I almost only use free software on my box :)

The only remaining non-free stuff is linux(kernel) and the nvidia drivers.
As soon as I am confident enough to compile linux, i would just use its libre fork though, so it may not be a problem as i know there is an alternative :)
(would be swell if ubuntu had an package for linux-libre :)

But i guess finding a replacement for the nvidia drivers would be more difficult. (But I hope that there will be a free driver soon :)

@why is linux unfree(by FSF standards):
short version: it contains binary blobs and some non-GPL compatible code
long version: http://www.fsfla.org/svnwiki/selibre/linux-libre/

[mamamia88]

Skype and Flash ruin it for me, I guess.

both are free

[Seq]

both are free

Yes, but neither is Free. I think that was the goal of the question.

[mamamia88]

excuse me but please explain the difference between free and FREE

[Redache]

excuse me but please explain the difference between free and FREE

Free as in Beer = No Price Associated, can still have a closed source License attached, it just costs nothing.

Free as in Freedom = May have a price associated but has Open Source Code and allows for any user to look inside the application Code. This is the Important one to most Open Source users, we want liberation not charity.

[MikeTheC]

@OP: You should have made this a poll.

Anyhow, in answer to the question: nope.

[Yashiro]

Flash on the internet is a problem.
Even if you created a totally compatible free playback system, the tools for creating said Flash on Linux are terrible.

So not only do you need a shift in the format, there needs to be brilliant free tools available too.

[jomiolto]

Quite easily. I think the only non-free software I have installed is Adobe's Flash Player and I could live without it, if I wanted to. Last time I tried, the GNU flash player (Gnash, or something) worked OK for me and the only problem was high CPU usage when watching flash videos...

[ubuntu27]

I was able to live with only a few non-free packages in the previous version of Ubuntu. For some reason, there are more non-free packages installed now...
I have Intel graphic card, I don't know why I have both Ati andd Nvidia drivers installed.

Anyway, here is my result from virtual Richard M. Stallman


ubuntu27@tenpo:~$ vrms
Non-free packages installed on tensai

fglrx-modaliases Identifiers supported by the ATI graphics driver
human-icon-theme Human Icon theme
linux-generic Complete Generic Linux kernel
linux-restricted-modules- Non-free Linux 2.6.27 modules helper script
linux-restricted-modules- Restricted Linux modules for generic kernels
nvidia-173-modaliases Modaliases for the NVIDIA binary X.Org driver
nvidia-177-modaliases Modaliases for the NVIDIA binary X.Org driver
nvidia-71-modaliases Modaliases for the NVIDIA binary X.Org driver
nvidia-96-modaliases Modaliases for the NVIDIA binary X.Org driver
sun-java6-bin Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 (architecture
sun-java6-jre Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 (architecture
sun-java6-plugin The Java(TM) Plug-in, Java SE 6
tangerine-icon-theme Tangerine Icon theme
ttf-larabie-deco Decorative fonts from www.larabiefonts.com
ttf-larabie-straight Straight fonts from www.larabiefonts.com
ttf-larabie-uncommon Special decorative fonts from www.larabiefonts.com
unrar Unarchiver for .rar files (non-free version)
Reason: Modifications problematic

Contrib packages installed on tensai

gstreamer0.10-pitfdll GStreamer plugin for using MS Windows binary codecs
msttcorefonts Installer for Microsoft TrueType core fonts
nvidia-common Find obsolete NVIDIA drivers

17 non-free packages, 0.9% of 1798 installed packages.
3 contrib packages, 0.2% of 1798 installed packages.
ubuntu27@tenpo:~$


You guys should also install virtual Richard M. Stallman



sudo apt-get install vrms



The vrms program will analyze the set of currently-installed packages
on a Debian-based system, and report all of the packages from the
non-free and contrib trees which are currently installed.

[ubuntu27]

excuse me but please explain the difference between free and FREE

Welcome to GNU/Linux and FOSS.

I believe that it is important to know the ideals (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/) and the definition of "Free Software" since you are using Linux.

I recommend you to read the following:

1) The Free Software Definition (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)

2) Can we sell Free Software? (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html)


You can read more about it here:

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/

[k@e]

Using vrms I get:


...
tango-icon-theme Tango Icon theme
Reason: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License
...

Isn't that not quite up-to-date anymore? I think Tango Icons were relicensed as public domain now, at least the official homepage (http://tango.freedesktop.org/Tango_Desktop_Project) says so.

[ubuntu27]

Using vrms I get:



Isn't that not quite up-to-date anymore? I think Tango Icons were relicensed as public domain now, at least the official homepage (http://tango.freedesktop.org/Tango_Desktop_Project) says so.

It won't surprise me if it wasn't updated..

[Dragonbite]

By free I mean free as in freedom of speech not as in free beer, can GNU/Linux users like you use only free software, whit out any proprietary code like the video drivers, Firefox, Opera, Adobe's flash plug-in, etc.?

I haven't had much luck with trying to install some of the FOSS Flash equivalents before but that was before Ubuntu's handy Flash-install-for-you feature.

On my Laptop I don't think I can because of the Broadcomm wireless.

On my desktop I don't think I can because of the nVidia video card.

On my server, though, I can because it doesn't have wireless and it has an Intel video card (not to mention it's CLI so I don't care!)

[Rokurosv]

Hmmm perhaps a day or two, after that not watching videos on youtube and playing some games might annoy me a little

[Dragonbite]

Hmmm perhaps a day or two, after that not watching videos on youtube and playing some games might annoy me a little

Does the original poster mean only using FOSS on the system (Adobe Flash Player) or FOSS technology (Flash)? I haven't tried the FOSS Flash equivalents to know if they work with YouTube but that could bypasss the first option (Flash Player).

[Rokurosv]

Does the original poster mean only using FOSS on the system (Adobe Flash Player) or FOSS technology (Flash)? I haven't tried the FOSS Flash equivalents to know if they work with YouTube but that could bypasss the first option (Flash Player).

Well I've tried Gnash and it didn't worked that well.

[MasterNetra]

I couldn't go 100% free, my wireless depends on the proprietary driver "STA" the b43 driver is useless. I would have to save up for a system76 labtop probably. Unless someone wants to buy one for me. :p

[cespinal]

no

[rizzeh]

No, someone's gotta support ID software or we'll end up in EA games nightmare :)

[Seq]

No, someone's gotta support ID software or we'll end up in EA games nightmare :)

Plus ID (sort of) supports Free software. Linux versions of games, and releasing older engines as GPL.

[CrazyArcher]

No, and I'll never bother to take the 'free' issue into consideration.

[KCG102282]

I personally couldn't at this point only because of Flash. I dont have any other nonfree app or driver installed.

[mamamia88]

personally after reading that definition of free software i frankly could care less about free applications that should be up to the developer. but after tasting the ability to completely customize the gui to my liking i don't think i could use osx or windows as my main os anymore. i am completely ocd now

[Messyhair42]

i built my computer with the idea of using as much open source software as possible. however i have not been able to escape dual booting with XP because i use Adobe Photoshop a lot and no OS programs come close to matching what i can do in PS