www/distros optionally-free-not-enough.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       21/04/29 00:21:35

Modified files:
        distros        : optionally-free-not-enough.html 

Log message:
        Add a reference to /philosophy/install-fest-devil.html.
        Small clarifications.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/distros/optionally-free-not-enough.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.12&r2=1.13

Patches:
Index: optionally-free-not-enough.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /web/www/www/distros/optionally-free-not-enough.html,v
retrieving revision 1.12
retrieving revision 1.13
diff -u -b -r1.12 -r1.13
--- optionally-free-not-enough.html     12 Apr 2014 12:39:32 -0000      1.12
+++ optionally-free-not-enough.html     29 Apr 2021 04:21:34 -0000      1.13
@@ -8,32 +8,48 @@
 <p>There are distros we decline to recommend that offer the user the 
 option of installing only free software.  Given that option, a user 
 who values freedom strongly enough, and thinks about the issue, can 
-make those distros respect her freedom.</p>
+make those distros respect per freedom.</p>
 
-<p>A distro that offers that option is clearly better than one that fails 
-to offer that option.  But that option does not make the distro ok to 
-recommend in general.  After all, most people in our community are not 
-conscious of this issue.  We cannot expect most of them to reject 
-nonfree software just because the distro offers a way to do so.</p>
-
-<p>So if we are considering whether to recommend a distro, 
-we need to consider who we would recommend it to.  For instance, 
-it could be:</p>
+<p>A distro that offers that option is clearly better than one that
+fails to offer that option.  But that option does not make the distro
+ok to recommend in general.  After all, most people in our community
+are not conscious of this issue.  We cannot expect most of them to
+choose to reject nonfree software just because the distro offers a way
+to do so.  And we don't want to lead people to install nonfree
+software.  We've chosen our practices to make that unlikely.</p>
+
+<p>Thus, our decision about recommending a distro depends on who we
+would recommend it to.  For instance, it could be:</p>
 
 <ol>
 <li>Specific committed free software supporters that we know will
 make an effort to avoid nonfree software.</li>
 
-<li>A large group such as perhaps the general public.</li>
+<li>A large and diverse group, such as, perhaps. the public in general.</li>
 </ol>
 
-<p>For the first case, we could recommend the distro if the distro 
-provides a clear and reliable way to reject nonfree software.</p>
-
-<p>However, for recommending a distro to the general public, we need to 
-insist on the criteria we actually use: an explicit commitment not to 
-offer or suggest any nonfree programs.  That way, we know the distro 
-won't lead the public to install any of those.</p>
+<p>We could recommend the distro privately to people in that first
+group if the distro provides a clear and reliable way to reject
+nonfree software.</p>
+
+<p>However, when it comes to recommending a distro to the general
+public, we should insist (and we do insist) on an explicit commitment
+not to offer or suggest any nonfree programs.  That way, we know our
+recommendation of that distro won't lead the public to install any of
+those.</p>
+
+<p>What distros should an install fest recommend or install for the
+public?  On moral grounds, an install fest should not recommend or
+install nonfree programs.  However, people will bring computers that
+need nonfree drivers or firmware blobs in order to run at
+all&mdash;without those, they will go away disappointed and consider
+GNU/Linux a failure.</p>
+
+<p>We thought of an idea for how to reconcile these two needs: the
+install fest installs a free distro,
+then <a href="/philosophy/install-fest-devil.html">&ldquo;the
+devil&rdquo; (a person wearing a devil mask) offers to install the
+nonfree drivers or blobs that machine needs</a>.</p>
 
 </div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
 <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
@@ -92,7 +108,7 @@
 
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2014/04/12 12:39:32 $
+$Date: 2021/04/29 04:21:34 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>