ogg radios for rhythmbox

[Timo Jyrinki]

Jeff Waugh <jeff.waugh at ubuntu.com> wrote:
 > You're certainly not alone, but we can't do it until there is a
 > legal way to do so. I do know of a potential solution in the
 > works, which will provide a completely legal, licensed MP3
 > codec (yes, encoding and decoding) for a tiny fee. That will
 > be a massive help. The technical users among us will still
 > be able to install non-kosher Free Software MP3 packages,
 > and there's not a lot we can do to make that easier
 > without being on shaky legal ground.

That sounds like a bit against the free software ideology. Is that so 
that (specificly) Ubuntu is granted a mp3 decoding/encoding license? If 
so, then Ubuntu joins those distributions that do distro-based deals 
with companies to provide closed format support. In the end, I thought 
Ubuntu's point was not to license/arrange every closed Flash, Java etc. 
implementation which is not freely distributable as such, or provide 
support for patent-restricted formats. If a deal can't be struck which 
allows any free software user to program any free software with eg. mp3 
support, then the solution is not free. And I guess one has to go back 
to Debian again for free software.

Or is the point that it would be placed in restricted, so that 100% free 
software users may uninstall it? Or as a third option, are Ubuntu users 
going to be provided with a way to install closed components by paying 
after the installation?

I'd have hoped that the "restricted" part of Ubuntu would not be 
increasing, and also that by default the installer would ask if any 
restricted components are wanted or not. Also, one thing to consider is 
the difference between "not supported / restricted but freely 
distributable" (like those WLAN binary firmwares which have free 
software compliant distribution rules - Symbol, Zydas etc.) and "not 
supported / restricted and deal struck exclusively for Ubuntu" (like 
probably Broadcom, Intel WLAN firmwares which have stricter distribution 
rules, and perhaps one or both of the big gfx company binary drivers).

BR,
TJ