On Mon, 2007-10-29 at 08:44 -0600, Karl Larsen wrote:
Frank Cox wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:11:29 -0500
> Les Mikesell <lesmikesell(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> In a reasonable OS, a binary blob that worked today would work again
>> tomorrow.
>>
>
> I think the word you're looking for is moribund.
>
Frank Cox is one of many out of touch with reality. The Reality is
that 95% of your friends use Windows and the send you stuff they
really like. If you stick with Frank you will never see or hear those
things. The pure Fedora viewer and music player are bad. I have VLC
with the codex library which is illegal and will get me 20 years in
jail. At 72 years old that would about do it. But VLC pays DVD movies
and every kind of file known to Windows. I would have Windows on this
computer if it was not for VLC.
I think the point Frank and others are making (though it's hard to tell,
based on the one sentence you've quoted) is that Fedora *can't* include
open-source but patented codecs without risking a lawsuit because it is
based in the US.
I would not be on this F7 if it were not for the Nvidia drivers
they make available. And you Frank hate them. Because they do not
provide you with their source code.
A totally separate issue from the one mentioned above. With the nVidia
drivers, the problem is the lack of source code, which means that
including it would violate Fedora's guidelines. Whatever your position
is on nVidia's drivers, the fact remains that Fedora isn't going to
change its guidelines.
Another thing you hate is Thunderbird because it does not ship
with
it's source code. But if you took a pole of Fedora users today you will
find a large percentage are using T-Bird.
Yes, because, cunningly enough, the Thunderbird developers have decided
to release the Thunderbird code to the world under an open source
license, much like the rest of the software in Fedora.
Be reasonable. There are things in the world better than what
Fedora
can produce and these things that are free should be embraced not spit upon.
I don't think phlegm is the issue. I think the real issue is that some
would like Fedora to change its spots, and (fortunately or
unfortunately, depending on your position) it's not going to happen.
Jonathan