Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Re: Freedom issues with non-free firmware in external files

[Mgg]

On Sun 16 Aug 2009 13:01:39 Yavor Doganov wrote:
> Mgg wrote:
> > On Fri 14 Aug 2009 15:08:18 Rubén Rodríguez Pérez wrote:
> > > I think that a program that needs a proprietary piece to work is
> > > not free software, even if it is GPL'd.
> >
> > a too opresive view
>
> I disagree; this is the view of the free software movement.  What are
> the "oppressive" bits here?

Yes, that's what i am saying.

> A GPL'ed program that relies on non-free
> software to function properly is free software, but it's useless in
> the Free World.  

What?

Why it could be useless if someone could hack a free replacement of the non 
free part?

> Hence, we should not distribute such programs.
>

wtf

> There are many past and present examples of these:
>
>   * The KDE stack when Qt was proprietary software;
>   * Any free Java program that relied on classes not implemented in
>     GCJ/Classpath, before Sun made their implementation free software.
>   * Lots of free Mac OS X/Cocoa programs that rely on classes/methods
>     that are not implemented in GNUstep;
>   * A free device driver that relies on non-free firmware to operate.

We should encourage the people to develop free firmwares, not to stop using 
the hardware, so ¿how could we do it?

Regards

-- 
Marcos Guglielmetti
Usuario de Musix GNU+Linux
www.musix.org.ar