Of course we are! At least according to our philosophy.
Still, many people don't think that Ubuntu is truly committed to free software in practice. I raised an interesting debate which took place on the Anarchism Reddit about whether it is better to be a purist or not. It started out by talking about Facebook and moved on to Ubuntu. The purist side made a very good argument with this:
Simple as that! I'm sending an email to the devel-dicuss list now.
For those interested in the "to be or not to be a purist" debate, the crux of the argument for me, as someone who does support Ubuntu, is here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/c7vfw/to_be_or_not_to_be_a_purist/c0qunme
Still, many people don't think that Ubuntu is truly committed to free software in practice. I raised an interesting debate which took place on the Anarchism Reddit about whether it is better to be a purist or not. It started out by talking about Facebook and moved on to Ubuntu. The purist side made a very good argument with this:
If Ubuntu made a point of saying how non-free software was bad, and offered ways to easily purge all non-free software from one's system, that would be different. But they don't.This sentiment seems very reasonable to me, and people who feel this way can and should be our allies. The concerns are valid and not difficult to appease, so to act in accordance with our philosophy, we should make a couple simple changes to Ubuntu:
- Offer a way to easily purge all non-free software from one's system.
- This would require supporting the Linux-libre kernel (it doesn't have to be default, but the option should be available)
- Make a point of saying why and how non-free software was bad, but also why the option is given to install it
- This would need to be shown every time Ubuntu recommends proprietary software like restricted drivers
Simple as that! I'm sending an email to the devel-dicuss list now.
For those interested in the "to be or not to be a purist" debate, the crux of the argument for me, as someone who does support Ubuntu, is here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/c7vfw/to_be_or_not_to_be_a_purist/c0qunme
Last time I checked we had an option to install only free software. (as per Colin Watsons mail here: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gobuntu-devel/2008-April/000651.html )
ReplyDeleteSo in effect, we do have what you are asking for, just not after install.
Usually I do not read post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and do it!
DeleteExactly. It has an option to install free software only. And the linux-libre kernel without its firmware doesn't work on lots of hardware, it doesn't even support the open source radeon (AMD) graphics drivers.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there gNewSense as free software only version of Ubuntu?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gnewsense.org/index.php?n=FAQ.FAQ
Ubuntu is committed to free software in as much as free software allows. In order to provide a complete, working & modern distribution it is sometimes necessary to use non-free software. This fact will never be understood or accepted by purists.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe you'll ever see Ubuntu officially condemn any/all non-free software. Nor would I.
Anonymous, Nor would most people condemn it all. The best thing about linux when I started using it...is being able to do anything and everything. By only being a purist, you set limits on yourself..Free to truely do what you need? or free in a prison of solitude.
ReplyDeleteThere is a risk that Ubuntu is moving towards desktop dependencies on non-free software, where the default install contains essential update, notification and connectivity functions that depend on non-free code.
ReplyDeleteIf that happens, then the "option" to remove non-free code becomes an academic nonsense.
@Stuart
ReplyDeleteCould you be more specific?
By definition "open and free to use", which ever way one chooses, loses it's meaning the moment non-free or for-fee software is restricted or banned. Besides, such Utopia is only possible in Desktop editions, it just isn't feasible to avoid non-free in the business server editions.
ReplyDeleteThe correct way to motivate and lead the masses away from non-free is by developing free applications that are better than non-free ones. Arbitrary and artificial restrictions will only create an exodus from Ubuntu.
Let's just keep Ubuntu truly free ad not build walls around it.
I am a Free software advocate. I want people to have full control over the computers that they own and their own data. Being able to convince someone who has been a long time windows user to use f.e. Ubuntu is a good thing because they are going from a platform of mostly proprietary software to one that is mostly Free. I feel that as long as Canonical and similar Free software companies keep trying to replace non-free components with Free ones then we are going in the right direction. I am not fully convinced that Canonical is doing that however. They keep talking about a "software store" (which is what the software center was called initially) where you buy will be able to buy proprietary software. That is not going in the right direction. Yes, the linux-libre kernel should be supported. There are computers out there whose hardware doesn't need those non-free firmware.
ReplyDeleteThat's my take on this stuff anyway.
iam love freeware and open s.........
ReplyDeleteMost of FUD about ubuntu and canonical made by commercial competitors like novel, redhat and mandrivia and FOSS community take there FUD as a real .
ReplyDeleteAll these shut about freedom in ubuntu do not make any sense at all because all commercial distro do the same , they all have non-free component in there repo and they already make money from selling there system witch contain non-free software .
they even separate there business from their communities by given theme a free beta distro like fedora or opensuse just to shut up any one like you from punish them for there business .!
If canonical do the same and give the community a beta distro with "Freedom love" no one will ask canonical about there enterprise edition .!
But canonical is give us all one complete free operating system just to push free software and GNU philosophy to higher mass and market share .
Canonical did not sell ubuntu nor any software made by them or by Foss community .
There are planning to be profit from making business around ubuntu like UbuntuOne and it's component .
also by training and support free software in market share .
Canonical promise that ubuntu will only ship with free software and the main repo will only contain free software , and ubuntu install free driver by default and give the user the choice to enable the non-free driver which is more important for alot of user .
Ubuntu and canonical will lead the free software movement in the coming few years , and those who are afraid of canonical and ubuntu will lose at the end , especially for those who trying to attack ubuntu with the name of freedom while there are not understand what freedom means .
Yes ubuntu software center will sell a product wither it's free or propitiatory , but you miss Tow things :
1- non-free product will be sell by canonical in there partner repo not in ubuntu main repo .
so nothing to do with ubuntu .
2- all company that make business in free software have to deal with non-free software and company because it's business .!!
finally , we have more than 400 distro and if one distro did not fit your needs or philosophy go to another but stop attacking the distro .
By this sort of article you are given a FAVORS to other distro .
and if you'r honest about freedom go and ask each distro to support linux-libre . then come back and ask ubuntu to do so .
Anyone interested should follow this bug:
ReplyDeletehttps://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/370675
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ReplyDeleteThose who are afraid of canonical and ubuntu will lose at the end.
ReplyDeleteWe have more than 400 distro and if one distro did not fit your needs or philosophy go to another but stop attacking the distro
ReplyDeleteThey keep talking about a "software store" (which is what the software center was called initially) where you buy will be able to buy proprietary software.
ReplyDeleteYour honest about freedom go and ask each distro to support linux-libre . then come back and ask ubuntu to do so .
ReplyDeleteGreat opinions. I really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even imagine the article to be so impressive and fast moving, thanks for sharing it
ReplyDeleteUbuntu is committed to free software in as much as free software allows. In order to provide a complete, working & modern distribution it is sometimes necessary to use non-free software. This fact will never be understood or accepted by purists.
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Make a point of saying why and how non-free software was bad, but also why the option is given to install it
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ReplyDeleteI love ubuntu so much! is the best free software ever made.
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ReplyDeleteIf Ubuntu made a point of saying how non-free software was bad, and offered ways to easily purge all non-free software from one's system, that would be different. But they don't.
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