[Dragora-bug] The distribution's name - technical and ethical sides of a misname

[Bruno Félix Rezende Ribeiro]

Greetings Dragorians.

In the development of Dragora we are now facing a technical and
ethical issue that grows out from the same root.  To understand that
issue you must ask yourself:

What does it mean to call Dragora a GNU/Linux distribution?

To answer that you can divide the whole name in its parts, and find
the ethical and technical reasons behind each one.

Technically speaking, the "GNU" in the name "Dragora GNU/Linux" is due
to the fact that the GNU Operating System's components plays a crucial
role in the system completeness; that means that GNU/Linux is
essentially the GNU system somewhat modified.  On the other hand,
ethically speaking, the "GNU" in the name is a way of doing justice to
the GNU project, to promote the values of freedom that GNU stands for,
and to inform others that those values of freedom brought the system
into existence.

Now, technically speaking, the "Linux" in the name "Dragora GNU/Linux"
is due to the fact that an important component of the operating
system, namely the kernel, is that one developed by Linus Torvalds and
his helpers.  But in its current, and whole, form that kernel is a
proprietary program because it contains multiple pieces which source
code are not available or are under a non-free license.  Being Dragora
one 100% free-software distribution it cannot contain such a software.
Thus, we do not use that exact kernel; we use a variant technically
very similar, but yet different, and entirely free as in freedom
called "Linux-libre".  Technically speaking, Dragora does not
distribute Linux, the proprietary kernel, but rather Linux-libre the
totally free-software kernel.  So, in the technical sense the
distribution's name is not right.

On the other hand, ethically speaking, when users come across the name
"Dragora GNU/Linux" and they become aware that it is entirely
free-software, they start thinking that Linux also is.  So, because of
that misname, the GNU and distribution reputations promotes Linux as
something good when in fact it is not good --- it is not free.
Technically, Linux and Linux-libre are very similar, but ethically,
for those who value freedom, there are an abyss between both.  What
should we teach our neighbor?  What are the values that our community
stands for?

Now you see the problem.  Are not "Dragora GNU+Linux-libre" or
"Dragora GNU/Linux-libre" much more fair names?

This mail has the purpose of listen Dragora community's thoughts about
this issue.  What do you think about it?

-- 
 ,= ,-_-. =.  Bruno Félix Rezende Ribeiro (oitofelix)
((_/)o o(\_)) Uns o chamam de super-boi...
 `-'(. .)`-'  Outros de hiper-cavalo...
     \_/      Eu o chamo simplesmente: meta-gnu!