Re: [GNU-linux-libre] review PureOS ISO

[Riley Baird]

Jean Louis, these points aren't really relevant - we're considering
whether the OS is free, not the hardware.

On Wed, 9 Nov 2016 10:17:20 +0300
address@hidden wrote:

> Hello Zlatan,
> 
> I am following this list, as a user of GNU, and somebody who compiles
> those to me needed GNU packages from sources, and I endorse all free
> and FSF endorsed GNU distributions.
> 
> Sadly I am in such a position that cannot easily order a computer
> without proprietary BIOS. At least I don't use any proprietary
> firmware, and the one for this ath9k chips, I have compiled myself, it
> was hours of work to get less than 100 kb firmware file.
> 
> I see that on your website, you are selling notebooks. I don't know
> nothing about them, and if you are calling them Librem, I just assume
> they are without proprietary BIOS.
> 
> I have reviewed this FAQ here:
> https://puri.sm/faq/
> 
> and I did not find anything in regards to BIOS. I have found on other
> pages on your site, that you are basically still using blobs, like it
> says here: https://puri.sm/posts/bios-freedom-status-nov2014/ and I
> cannot know what is updated information.
> 
> The impression is that you are offering a notebook products, and that
> you are trying your best to reach into the target group of free
> software supports, and you try your best to liberate the notebook from
> proprietary software, in order to reach to the mentioned group of
> people.
> 
> The focus is not on free software. The focus is on a notebook, that is
> to reach the free software users and supporters.
> 
> Only, why did not you come up in the first place with a notebook
> without blobs, and non-free firmwares? From beginning?
> 
> What can you do to actually offer libre notebooks?
> 
> Do you see my point? On one side, you liberate the operating system,
> like PureOS, and on the other side, you are yourself selling non-free
> notebooks.
> 
> You are promoting free software distribution on the same domain where
> you are selling non-free software to people.
> 
> My observations:
> 
> 1) PureOS domain is not pure from proprietary software, in fact, it is
> promoting sales of notebooks that still contain proprietary software
> 
> 2) Notebooks were chosen from beginning to have the proprietary blobs,
> firmware, whatever, and you have offered them for sale before that has
> been handled.
> 
> 3) While you are promoting PureOS as free distribution, you have a
> business that pushes proprietary software into hands of the users, I
> refe to blobs and firmware, I don't know if anything changed, you can
> let me know.
> 
> 4) I have not reviewed where other free distributions host their
> software, however, I don't have Github account (not any more) and will
> not be able to file bugs against it.
> 
> 5) I have reviewed als your repo location and its source code on:
> http://repo.puri.sm/pureos/ and I can see that ChangeLog is of zero
> bytes, which tells me there were no changes ever, or somebody is
> simply placing a file for its own sake.
> 
> 6) After the review of the file Packages.xz I see that you are using
> something like Debian packaging? I don't say anything against that, I
> am just looking into the efforts to liberate the software from
> anything proprietary. Are you putting those efforts? Or are you just
> repackaging some other distribution?
> 
> 7) After the review of "Sources" of PureOS, I could find on this link:
> http://repo.puri.sm/pureos/dists/green/main/source/ the file name
> Sources.xz for which I was thinking, what it is? It was uncommon to
> me, to find a file without "tar", so I have reviewed the file. Don't
> take me wrong, I like sources in general, that is why I am compiling
> all packages from sources. I am addict to sources. And on your
> website, I could just find one file relating to sources.
> 
> The file does not give sources of the PureOS, it just points out to
> sources of Debian packages.
> 
> There are few packages that are showing some "pureos" work being done,
> those relate to package management, and customization of the Gnome
> system.
> 
> I have also reviewed your purism Github account,
> https://github.com/purism and on the package pureos-meta I see there
> is 1 contributor.
> 
> All that is good. I just see pure efforts for free software
> distribution. I see much of efforts for customization of the Debian
> GNU/Linux to comply to your notebook sales.
> 
> In fact, I guess, you would be better of in selling notebooks, if you
> would say "Debian - ready" and simply letting people use any
> distribution they want, without PureOS pre-installed. I am not sure if
> you are gaining anything in notebook sales like this. Maybe a simple
> customized PureOS wallpaper and menu, on the pure Debian GNU/Linux
> installation would do more for you in terms of sales. 
> 
> 8) The website for PureOS is not separate from a notebook sales
> website. In fact sales are in the first focus on that domain. I don't
> say you should not sell notebooks, I say that your focus is on sales
> and much less focus on truly purely making a free software
> distribution.
> 
> You asked for comments, you got it.
> 
> I am not member of FSF, even I made few small contributions. I am just
> somebody out there, sitting in the town of Geita, Tanzania.
> 
> Jean Louis
> 
> 
> On Wed, Nov 09, 2016 at 01:43:59AM +0100, Zlatan Todoric wrote:
> > Hi all (again),
> > 
> > we are restarting the process of getting PureOS as FSF endorsed OS. We
> > built new infrastructure and released alpha 2 image publicly so we want
> > to march together on this road with you and see the final release of
> > PureOS 3.0 as FSF endorsement of PureOS.
> > 
> > Image available for download: https://puri.sm/pureos/download/
> > 
> > Repo location and it's source code: http://repo.puri.sm/pureos/
> > 
> > New infra brings few things that might (should matter) to community:
> > 
> > Bug tracker: https://tracker.puri.sm/maniphest/
> > 
> > Wiki (we could use interested parties here :) ): https://tracker.puri.sm/w/
> > 
> > Code hosting: although it is mostly here https://github.com/purism and
> > on other parts of github, we plan to move most (probably all) or mirror
> > at least to https://tracker.puri.sm/diffusion/
> > 
> > 
> > Compared to last time - I appreciate all suggestions and hopefully you
> > can use our bugtracker for submitting bugs (or even code/pull requests)
> > and hopefully we can avoid bashing and bad language. We really want to
> > do this properly and be welcomed into GNU family.
> > 
> > 
> > Thanks all and let the work begin,
> > 
> > 
> > Z
> > 
> > 
>

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