AcrobatReader: A bug or intentionally?

[Matthew Flaschen]

Mark Wallace wrote:
> All that means is that it isn't GPL.

No, it means that it isn't free (http://gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)
or open source (http://opensource.org/docs/definition.php) at all.  In
fact, it apparently can't even be redistributed legally (any more).

> I have it installed.  But the other PDF readers do seem to work flawlessly and 
> are GPL.  If you are used to it, why should you have to give it up on the 
> grounds that you like Linux?

You don't have to, but Ubuntu can not legally distribute it.  It may
have been illegal to do so before.

> I thought trying to limit your choices was the 
> Microsoft way of thinking, not Linux's.

I recommend against installing it since it's unfree, but no one's trying
to stop you.  /Adobe/ is the one that is keeping it proprietary.
Otherwise Ubuntu would distribute it without hesitation.

Matt Flaschen