On Tue, Jun 22, 1999 at 02:10:59PM -0700, Darren O. Benham wrote: > > - a message when installing the package > Nagware-ish. Every non-free package you install, you have to agree to some > announcement that this package is non free...
I concur, however it's the lesser of a lot of possible evils. See below. > > - something that shows up clearly in dselect/apt > (this applys to above, too) doesnt' help the distinction for people > browsing http or ftp directories... People browsing http or ftp directories will see the directory names and the .message files. It's the people using tools such as apt-get in which the user doesn't often see the word 'non-free' that I feel this proposal originally concerned. > > And perhaps, the README.Debian should be mandatory to contain a brief > > explanation why this package is considered non-free (often it is obvious, > > but often it is not, especially for those new to the world of free software) > I think this is a good idea, regardless of what we do with the archive... > it's a -policy issue. I agree with this as well, however there are people like Manoj among us who consider this giving out legal advice. > > Many of the users do get Debian on CD, so they won't even realize which > > server the packages were on. Also, putting an additional server in your > > apt-file is a one time action, while a sign on every package (however it > > would look) would be recognized at every installation. > putting an additional like would be like saying "I wish to use non-free > software" That covers teh anser to each question. It's a chance to make a > consious decision by the user. They see the free stuff. They're told that > non-free stuff exists if they check this other server or add this line to > their source.list file. The packaging tools already know when something is non-free - it has the Section: non-free/* in the package's control file. Thus there is no need to modify any packages to let the user know that a package is non-free. Here's an idea: # apt-get install navigator-smotif-46 Reading Package Lists... Done Building Dependency Tree... Done The following extra packages will be installed: netscape-base-46 navigator-base-46 The following NEW packages will be installed: navigator-smotif-46 netscape-base-46 navigator-base-46 The following NON-FREE packages will be installed: navigator-smotif-46 netscape-base-46 navigator-base-46 0 packages upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 9 not upgraded. gnome-apt could just put a little Mr. Yuck (ooh, there's an icon we haven't seen in a while :) sticker by all the non-free packages right next to the package name. Unintrusive, non-alienating, but lets the user know. -- Robert Woodcock - [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Yes I do believe there is a violent thing inside of me" -- Everclear
