Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Emulators

[Graziano]

On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:35:19 -0800 (PST), "Jason Self" 
<address@hidden> wrote:
> Sam Geeraerts <address@hidden> wrote ...
>
> > part of the packages itself also seems non-free (2xSaImmx.asm 
> > license)
>
> The non-commercial clause certainly makes it non-free. "A free
> program must be
> available for commercial use, commercial development, and commercial
> distribution." [1]
>
> [1] http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html


2xSaImmx.asm is a file contained in VisualBoy Advance, an emulator for 
the Nintendo Gameboy and Gameboy Advance game consoles.

The file, as other people said, is not free software:

http://code.google.com/p/vba-ps3/source/browse/trunk/src/vba/filters/2xSaImmx.asm?spec=svnc768e08287e054c831a1c44aa9605f3986a58909&r=c768e08287e054c831a1c44aa9605f3986a58909

and so I think it should be removed from gNewSense, if present and 
addeed to the Blacklist Software LibrePlanet Page.


Every emulator needs games ROMs to play. A game ROM is a dump of the 
game that was inside a cabinet card or a console cartridge.

From a legal point of view you can download those ROMs only if you have 
the original game but it remains a non free game.

I don't know if there are free software ROMs out there but I never 
heard of them.

The point is I always heard rms talking about banning a program if it 
*suggests* the use of non free software such as firefox proposing to 
install Adobe Flash or linking a non free addon page.

It doesn't seem the case here but I may be wrong.


--
Graziano Sorbaioli
Founder, LibrePlanet Italia
http://sorbaioli.org
http://www.groups.fsf.org/wiki/Group:LibrePlanet_Italia