On 2003-09-05, Richard Stallman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> The GNU Project has never endorsed Debian, because ever since we first
> considered the question, the Debian servers have been distributing and
> recommending non-free packages. I think this practice is entirely
> wrong, but I did not try to change it with vilification and pressure.
> Instead, for several years I talked with some friendly Debian
> developers to promote a Debian decision to change the practice. ...
> If at some point Debian distributes main from a server that doesn't
> include or refer people to non-free software and documentation, the
> GNU Project could point to that server as a place to get an entirely
> free version of the GNU system. ...
I'd like to mention that over the time I've been using Debian, it
seems to have been getting steadily better on this score. For
instance, for a while a default install included non-free packages in
the apt sources list; then there was a configuration question asking
whether non-free should be included; and now I believe the question
has been removed entirely, meaning that users do not get non-free
unless they know to ask for it and go out of their way to do so. And
the situation may well continue to get better, with the possibility of
new GRs to banish non-free further.
Peace,
Dylan Thurston
