Ubuntu is not free.

[Daniel Carrera]

On Sat, 2006-08-07 at 17:28 +0200, meets at free.fr wrote:
> I think it's nonsense to go through so many tiny details to avoid the
> principal problem, which is the respect of the free licenses and the
> spirit of the free software.

The principal problem is that you expect everyone to have the same
opinions as you. I think that Ubuntu does a very good job at respecting
the principles of free software, and I think that you are unreasonable
and dogmatic.

> Why do people think that two portions of
> non free program are good for them ?

Because they make critical hardware work. I would prefer that there be
free software versions available, but since there isn't, I think that
including the proprietary ones is the right choice in this instance. Due
to their nature, not including them would mean that Ubuntu would just
not work on some hardware, and then those people wouldn't use it at all.
I prefer that someone use 99.99% free software than 0%.

> The thing is not in the details...

The devil is very often in the details.

> and yes, all distributions package non free software.

But you pick on Ubuntu although it's one of the distributions that
package the *least* non-free software.

> They are available, but they are not installed by default.

Please take a look at Xandros. Let's see if it doesn't install non-free
software by default. Also, are you confident that Red Hat, Mandriva,
SUSE, Linspire and others don't install *any* non-free software by
default?

> My only aim is to have theses pointed out and be
> reported so that the developpers think of it.

Then why did you come to this list? You won't find the developers here.
You're just making noise.

> If Ubuntu is not a real free distribution, I will not advise it or
> interest myself to it anymore,

We won't miss you. But I think you'll be unpleasantly surprised with
other distributions. The only distribution I'd recommend above Ubuntu
from the free software pov is Debian.

> All/many would like to have some great distro
> to show and give to their friends,

There is such a great distro, it's called Ubuntu. Now you want to
cripple it and make it not work for many people.


-- 
http://opendocumentfellowship.org
  "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the
  unreasonable man tries to adapt the world to himself.
  Therefore all progress depends on unreasonable men."
        -- George Bernard Shaw
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