Is Ubuntu commited to free software?

[Danny Piccirillo]

 On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 13:19, Scott Kitterman <ubuntu at kitterman.com> wrote:

>
>
> "Danny Piccirillo" <danny.piccirillo at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>
> >Of course it is! At least according to our philosophy:
> >http://www.ubuntu.com/project/about-ubuntu/our-philosophy
> >
> >Still, many people don't think that Ubuntu is truly committed to free
> >software in practice. These people can and should be our allies. Their
> >concerns are valid, and they are not difficult to appease. I'd like to
> >present a short list of simple ways that Ubuntu could show it's
> commitment:
> >
> >1. Offer ways to easily purge all non-free software from one's system.
> > * This would require supporting the linux libre kernel (it doesn't have
> to
> >be by default, but the option should be available.
>
> No. It doesn't. That kernel removes the ability to run non-free drivers.
> The exact same amount of non-free code runs if you don't have any installed.
> Just about the last thing Ubuntu needs is the maintenance overhead of
> another kernel that only serves ideological purposes.
>
> There is already a free software only install option that not only will not
> install anything non-free, it also disables the restricted and multiverse
> repositories so that people who are concerned about this can safely install
> new packages without fear of contamination.
>

Yes, the free software only option is there, but isn't entirely free. That's
what linux-libre is for. Linux libre should be the kernel for the free
software install. Mainline Linux is not free because it includes binary-only
firmwares hidden as source code files (or blobs)


On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 13:23, Alan Pope <alan at popey.com> wrote:

> Hi Danny,
>
>
> On 9 June 2010 17:57, Danny Piccirillo <danny.piccirillo at ubuntu.com>
> wrote:
> > Their
> > concerns are valid, and they are not difficult to appease. I'd like to
> > present a short list of simple ways that Ubuntu could show it's
> commitment:
>
> How about answering the questions/concerns posed to you in the other
> threads you've raised today and engage in the discussion rather than
> fire-and-forget. You're in danger of falling into the same behaviour
> as other FSF members before you.
>

I already apologized for stepping out of line and being much too imposing
rather than inviting to encourage people who care about free software to
join the LibrePlanet project. I liked the responses i got, and i appreciated
the points that were raised. I said that already.
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