www/distros free-distros.html

[Brett Smith]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Brett Smith <brett>     12/03/15 16:18:22

Modified files:
        distros        : free-distros.html 

Log message:
        Major refactoring for consistency and flow.
        
        RMS asked me to add instructions to this page telling distribution
        maintainers how to apply for a listing.  It already had those
        instructions -- in fact, it had two sets of instructions, which didn't
        agree with each other.  So I decided the problem was a lack of clarity
        and took an axe to the whole thing.
        
        The basic gist is to make a clear "Missing distro?" section after the
        table, and then create a sort of funnel to get people to the right
        place.  Readers are directed to check common-distros, and then mail
        candidate distro maintainers, who in turn are encouraged to get in
        touch with us.
        
        I've tried to lay out the page so that the information becomes
        relevant to smaller and smaller subsets of the readership as you read
        further down the page -- so the first paragraph is a general
        disclaimer, and the last paragraph is directed at distro maintainers.
        
        Since I was touching basically the entire document at that point
        anyway, I went ahead and made whatever small edits seemed helpful.
        Noteworthy: don't use "distro" in the body text (it's technical
        slang), and "content" is a word to avoid.
        
        This page still struggles because it wants to say very different
        things to very different audiences, but I'm not sure that's a solvable
        problem right now.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/distros/free-distros.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.47&r2=1.48

Patches:
Index: free-distros.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/distros/free-distros.html,v
retrieving revision 1.47
retrieving revision 1.48
diff -u -b -r1.47 -r1.48
--- free-distros.html   2 Mar 2012 20:13:42 -0000       1.47
+++ free-distros.html   15 Mar 2012 16:18:09 -0000      1.48
@@ -10,57 +10,25 @@
 
 <h2>Free GNU/Linux distributions</h2>
 
-<p> <em><span class="highlight">The FSF is not responsible for the
-content of other web sites, or how up-to-date their content
-is.</span></em></p>
-
-<p>Following are the <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html">GNU/Linux</a>
-distributions we know of which have a firm policy commitment to only
-include and only propose free software.  They reject non-free
+<p><em><span class="highlight">The FSF is not responsible for other
+web sites, or how up-to-date their information is.</span></em></p>
+
+<p>Below are the <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html">GNU/Linux</a>
+distributions we know follow
+the <a href="/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html">Guidelines
+for Free System Distributions</a>.  They have a firm policy commitment
+to only include and only propose free software.  They reject non-free
 applications, non-free programming platforms, non-free drivers, or
 non-free firmware &ldquo;blobs&rdquo;.  If by mistake they do include
 any, they remove it.  If you have found such non-free software or
 documentation in one of these distributions, you can 
-<a href="/help/gnu-bucks.html">report the issue and earn GNU Bucks</a> in the
-process. To learn more about what makes for a free GNU/Linux
-distribution, see our <a
-href="/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html">Guidelines
-for Free System Distributions</a>.</p>
-
-<div class="imgright" style="width: 12px; width: 300px; background-color: 
#ffb;"><h3>I know of a distro that's not listed here!</h3>
-
-<p>We maintain a list of the free system distributions we know
-about. If you know about a free distribution that isn't listed there,
-please have the developers write
-to <a href="mailto:address@hidden";>address@hidden</a> with a description of
-their system and a link to their web page.</p>
-
-</div>
+<a href="/help/gnu-bucks.html">report the issue and earn GNU
+Bucks</a>.</p>
 
-<p>We list <a href="/links/companies.html">companies that sell hardware
-preinstalled with a free GNU/Linux distribution</a> separately.</p>
-
-<p>If you know of a distribution that may qualify but isn't listed here,
-please ask the distribution's maintainers if they want to follow these
-free software principles.  If they do, and they would like their
-distribution to be listed here, they should write to
-&lt;address@hidden&gt;.</p>
-
-<p>If you're wondering why a certain distribution isn't listed
-here, you may want to check our page
-explaining <a href="/distros/common-distros.html">why we don't
-endorse some common distributions</a>.  There, we've listed the
-reasons why several well-known distributions don't meet our
-guidelines.</p>
-
-<p>Some distributions are making efforts to move toward a completely
+<p>Other distributions are making efforts to move toward a completely
 free system.  We thank them for their ongoing work to achieve that goal,
 and hope to list them here some day.</p>
 
-<p><a href="/software/software.html">Individual GNU
-packages</a> (most of which are included in the free distros here) 
-are described separately.</p>
-
 <p><strong>All of the distributions that follow are installable to a computer's
 hard drive and most can be run live.</strong>  They are listed in alphabetical
 order.</p>
@@ -130,12 +98,41 @@
 
 </table>
 
-<p>In addition to their own sites, many of these distros are available
-from <a href="http://mirror.fsf.org";>mirror.fsf.org</a>.  Feel free to
-download or mirror the distros from there, preferably using rsync.
-(Free distro maintainers: please contact <a
-href="mailto:address@hidden";>FSF sysadmin</a> to have your distro
-mirrored there.)</p>
+<p>In addition to their own sites, many of these distributions are
+available from <a href="http://mirror.fsf.org/";>mirror.fsf.org</a>.
+Feel free to download or mirror the distributions from there,
+preferably using rsync.  Free distribution maintainers can request a
+mirror for their project by mailing
+the <a href="mailto:address@hidden";>FSF sysadmins</a>.</p>
+
+<p>We list <a href="/links/companies.html">companies that sell hardware
+preinstalled with a free GNU/Linux distribution</a> separately.</p>
+
+<p><a href="/software/software.html">Individual GNU
+packages</a> (most of which are included in the free distributions here) 
+are described separately.</p>
+
+<h3 id="NewDistro">See something we missed?</h3>
+
+<p>Do you know about a distribution that you expected to find on our
+list, but didn't?  First, check our page
+about <a href="/distros/common-distros.html">why we don't endorse some
+common distributions</a>.  That page explains the reasons why several
+well-known distributions don't
+meet <a href="/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html">our
+guidelines</a>.  If the distribution isn't listed there either, and
+you think it qualifies for a listing under our guidelines, then please
+let the distribution's maintainers know about this page and encourage
+them to get in touch&mdash;we'd like to hear from them.</p>
+
+<p>If you maintain a distribution that follows
+the <a href="/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html">Free
+System Distribution Guidelines</a> and would like to be listed here,
+please write to us
+at <a href="mailto:address@hidden";>&lt;address@hidden&gt;</a>
+with an introduction and a link to the project Web site.  When you do,
+we'll explain more about our evaluation process to you, and get
+started on it quickly.  We look forward to hearing from you!</p>
 
 </div>
 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
@@ -165,7 +162,7 @@
 
 <p>Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2012/03/02 20:13:42 $
+$Date: 2012/03/15 16:18:09 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>