GNU/Linux, FLOSS, and Ubuntu

[Shawn McCuan]

I would imagine that the key reason it is listed is because of this statement:

"it contains or distributes non-free software."

Ubuntu allows access to restricted non-open-source drivers from ATI/Nvidia, some multimedia plugins, and other hardware drivers in their repositories.

Really it boils down to Richard Stallman being a little too psychotic about free software. On one end, you have Microsoft, where 99.9% is closed source and proprietary - on the other extreme is Richard Stallman (GNU) and his "everything must be absolutely and without question 100% open source or the world is going to end" view. I'm a huge proponent of open source software. I would like to see a world that was 100% open source, but I know that chances of that happening in my lifetime are slim to none...so, if I have to use one or two source applications with my free software, that is okay by me.

In the world we are in today, we must make a compromise between open-source and closed source software - I have yet to see a truly 100% functional and usable Linux system that can access the majority of web audio/video content without the aid of closed-source software. (And I'm talking legal open-source software - not illegal (at least in the US) open-source items like libdvdcss2.)
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jimmy Wu 
  To: ubuntu-users 
  Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 2:12 PM
  Subject: GNU/Linux, FLOSS, and Ubuntu


  Hello list,

  I've been spending a little bit of time on gnu.org (interesting reading), and it claims that most of the popular Linux distros come packaged with "non-free" software.  The list of completely free GNU/Linux distros is woefully short, and does not include Ubuntu.  That puzzled me, because I thought the whole Ubuntu philosophy was big on free software.  

  Could someone please explain the relationship between Ubuntu and GNU, 
  and does anyone know what parts of the default Ubuntu installation, if any, are restricted/non-free/proprietary?

  Thanks,

  Jimmy 



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