Hi list, I would like to hear your comments on the matter before I submit a bug report asking for the removal from base of the nv X driver and possibly also of the rivafb kernel module for severe policy violation. The code for nv is voluntarily obfuscated, in effect making it proprietary: its sole maintainer is an NVidia employee, because only him has access to the readable source and to the specifications of the cards. This post gives a good overview of the problem at hand:
https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-list/2003-October/msg00944.html Although the DFSG do not envisage the issue, the GPL does tackle it: "The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it". I am aware the DFSG !== the GPL, nevertheless the GPL is obviously as good a definition of free software as any, and whichever your sensibility, open-source or free software, NVidia is playing foul. Its motives for not releasing anything useful, whatever they are, should not get us carried away: if Debian is to remain committed to its founding ideals, it should not allow such more-than-borderline misbehaviour. Besides of the problem on principles, if any "pragmatic" complaint was necessary, how do you feel at the idea of a non-peer-reviewed, untrusted piece of code running on your box with full root privileges ? As an unfortunate owner of an NVidia card, I thus propose Debian does like me and switches to the VESA driver in its default install for all things NVidia. Nv and probably also rivafb (comments welcome) belong in non-free. Cheers, Camille d'Alméras __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
