Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Status of google chrome and chromium

[Omar Botta]

On Wednesday 09 December 2009 4:48:07 am A.J. Venter wrote:
> Hi all,
> Some of you may have noticed the news that google-chrome released an
> official GNU/Linux beta yesterday.  Chromium (the community project
> it's built on) is BSD-licensed and obviously then free software
> (though we may
> raise queries about it's plugins/extensions at least the code is free
> there) but the download page for google-chrome shows this agreement:
> http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?hl=en&platform=linux&brand=CHFK
>
> Which is most certainly not compliant with most of the four freedoms.
> My feeling at this stage, is that chrome is probably non-free and
> chromium is free but problematic - but since I'm rather a fan of the
> technology in it, I thought
> I would seek some opinions about this understanding. Considering the
> likely future popularity of this browser on our platforms, I think we
> need a consensus on whether we will provide, provide a forked version,
> or leave it out completely. Seeing as kongoni does not exist in a
> vacuum - I reckoned this is something the free distro's need a
> collective decision on.
> I discussed the matter with RMS about a year ago when Kongoni
> launched, but at the stage this was a purely theoretical discussion
> (since neither chrome nor chromium had gnu/linux versions available
> yet). He raised a concern about potential privacy issues in chrome
> which I believed at the time did not apply to chromium - I cannot say
> at this stage that this is still the case because frankly - I don't
> know.
>
> When I first launched kongoni, it was in the design spec that it would
> include chromium as default browser when it comes out. This decision
> may need to be reconsidered - and with the release of the beta smack
> in the middle of a major kongoni development cycle (e.g. a perfect
> time to add it) this is the time to do so.
>
> I am CC'ing Richard on this mail, though I know we don't usually do
> that, but I think this one has some complexities we haven't really
> dealt with before and don't have ready answers to, so  we could
> probably use his insights on this one - and since he'll probably be
> asked, whatever conclusions we come to, he should probably be aware
> off :)
>
> Ciao
> A.J.

Hi A.J.

The community project, Chromium, is Free Software licensed under BSD and other 
free.
http://code.google.com/intl/en/chromium/terms.html


But Chrome binaries are not free, because they are subject to a EULA.
http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?hl=en

In particular this point:

"9.2 Subject to section 1.2, you may not (and you may not permit anyone else 
to) copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer, decompile or 
otherwise attempt to extract the source code of the Software or any part 
thereof, unless this is expressly permitted or required by law, or unless you 
have been specifically told that you may do so by Google, in writing."

Ciao
-- 
Omar Botta
Co-director VENENUX GNU/Linux
www.venenux.org