Re: Question of Aiding and Abetting Proprietary (or non-free) Software in GNU projects

[andrew via libreplanet-discuss <libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org>]

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On 22/05/16 06:10PM, Yasuaki Kudo wrote:
> Oh this is quite simple - When someone installs a Guix OS, there is a
> high chance that vital components of the computer won't work (unless
> "work" includes severely hampered performance)
>
> And the chances are, all one needs to do to obtain the hardware
> manufacture's native performance is do is to use the regular Linux
> kernel package, with none the "de-blobbing" of LinuxLibre.  (Aside
> from asking the manufacturer to provide the Free Software-based
> compilation mechanism for the required BLOB, something that may take
> many years, or forever)

This is really the job of nonguix, and their mailing lists if any (I
don't personally use nonguix so I can't tell).

Note that "regular Linux" in theory doesn't contain nonfree software
either- the nonfree software has been moved to linux-firmware.

Do note that nonfree firmware or other nonfree code linked again Linux
or specifically designed to work with Linux is a violation of Linux's
license, GNU GPL version 2 (only).

> To use the regular Linux, all that's needed is to tweak the
> configuration of the Guix system.   When people new to the system post
> questions along this line, on the Guix Help mailing list, the typical
> response is either via a direct personal email or some suggestions,
> short of the direct answer.

No, it isn't, you'd also need linux-firmware as explained.

> When, out of frustration, one directly answers, he is greeted with
> notices around this being a GNU mailing list and such matters are not
> to be discussed.

I do believe that the GNU Guix mailing list should be oriented towards
the Guix system itself and not compatibility with nonfree hardware,
though that may be a goal of people introducing users so that they would
eventually fully free systems.  Nonguix is such a community.

> The contradiction I see is that:

> * Emacs runs on Windows.  Instructions and reasons are stated clearly
> (as you quoted) 

Which I am indeed questioning why it is handled by GNU, too.

> * Guix OS technically runs on Linux (not just LibreLinux).   However,
> it is not "advertised" (the verb seemingly preferred by the community)
> and even the discussion thereof is shunned.

(1) it's called linux-libre
(2) no linux-firmware -> free

--
Andrew Yu
https://www.anrewyu.org/

Free Computing, not just Free Software! <https://fcm.andrewyu.org/>

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