Re: [Nolug] Distro suggestions

-ray <ray@ops.selu.edu> writes:

> On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 mah@everybody.org wrote:
>
>> Because, I'm not using Linux because I hate Microsoft. I'm using
>> Linux because (after the personalities of Free Software) I love the
>> freedom and openness of UNIX. I've become so steeped in the
>> politics of Free Software that I try to rid my machine of /all/
>> proprietary, closed software. So, right there, out goes RedHat and
>> Suse.
>
> What is proprietary and closed about Redhat and Suse?

Redhat: the corporation is closed. Further, as a publicly owned
entity, they are primarily beholden to their owners who, surprise,
want to see the company make money. If this means that they have to
cut something, or sell closed-source software, they will. One only
needs to look at what happened to VA to see the possible outcomes
here.

Further, you are at their mercy. RHAT can decide to stop supporting
and developing any software at any time. Yes, the GPL protects you
here, but I prefer an organisation that is dedicated entirely to the
freedoms of free software.

Suse: I'm less familiar with them, but most of my reasons for
preferring Debian would be similar to those voiced above. (I recall
that they also developed closed video drivers.)

> If they bundled proprietary packages like netscape or staroffice, then
> yea. But doesn't Debian also bundle Netscape?

No. Debian doesn't bundle Netscape. They do bundle Mozilla.

> I don't see how Debian is more "open". It's unfair to call Suse and
> Redhat "proprietary, closed software" simply because they turn a
> profit on their products.

Let me be clear: I don't consider the entire Redhat or Suse
distributions to be "proprietary, closed software". Obviously, most
of the software contained in those distributions is covered by the
GPL or BSD-like licenses.

However, as you pointed out, they do have non-free components. As an
organisation, they don't have the deep commitment to Free Software
that Debian does. They're willing to "sell out", have done so in the
past, and will do so in the future.

> <sarcasm> If you love the freedom and openness of unix, check out Solaris,
> AIX, and HPUX, where you get ALL the source code totally for
> free!!!</sarcasm>

Actually, I admin-ed both Solaris and AIX. I can only say that it
took way too long for Solaris to start shipping gzip and other
widely-used GNU utilities.

> Use Linux and BSD. Who cares what distro. No need for holy war.

You must have missed the part where I said that what I love about Free
Software is the conflict of personalities.

I care what distribution of Linux I use. I've seen the poor job that
Redhat has done with their distribution (e.g. shipping a gcc that
won't even compile) and I'm not impressed.

I'm also a lot less forgiving of faceless enterprises than roaving
hoards of lunatic developers.

More holy wars, please.

Mark.

-- 
Peace is only better than war if peace isn't hell, too.
    -- Walker Percy, "The Second Coming"
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