/etc/motd template

[Fabian Rodriguez]

Adam Sommer wrote:
> 
> 
> On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 10:49 AM, Dustin Kirkland <kirkland at ubuntu.com
> <mailto:kirkland at ubuntu.com>> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>     I'm curious if the "free software" and "no warranty" paragraphs are
>     still necessary/useful?  Do they belong in the MOTD, printed *every*
>     time a user logs onto a system on the command line?

Declaring Ubuntu is free software because most of it is free is a bit of
a stretch. I believe "The programs included with the Ubuntu system in
its main repository are free software; the exact distribution terms for
each program are described in the individual files in
/usr/share/doc/*/copyright."

or

"The programs included with the Ubuntu system in its main repository are
mostly free software; the exact distribution terms for each program are
described in the individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright."

Even stating it's free software is completely unnecessary IMO. Isn't
that what the terms/licenses declare (redundantly so) ?

"Ubuntu comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by
applicable law."

If we define "Ubuntu" as everything in main, universe and multiverse,
and "Warranty" as applying to technical functionality, that may be true.
  But how about this:
http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid/assurance

That's hardly "absolutely no warranty". I don't have an easy answer
here, perhaps the community council and legal counsel at Canonical could
help.

Regarding the fear it can instill when someone logs in for the first
time and sees that, I believe it could be balanced with:

    To get help with Ubuntu, please visit:
	http://www.ubuntu.com/support

That link includes links to the official doc, support options and more,
which may prove much more useful than a link to documentation that
doesn't even mention getting free help elsewhere.

To be fair the professional services section on that page should then
include a direct link to the Ubuntu Marketplace.

Fabian Rodriguez, Ubuntu Systems Senior Support Analyst
Canonical Global Support & Services, Montreal, QC, Canada
http://landscape.canonical.com


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