Re: [MLUG] SuSE

[Jason Gyorog <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Each of the three branches (stable, testing, unstable) of Debian has three categories of
packages: "regular" (can't remember if there's a name for this), non-US, and non-free

The non-US ones are packages that use some encryption or something else that has
restrictions on exporting from the US, so in order to keep from having them exported
(downloaded) from a US server to a non-US client, they just keep the servers outside the US.
No such restriction applies when a US client downloads from a non-US server, and also the
rest of the world can download without involving the US at all : )

non-free has some limitations on the source code that makes the Debian project deem it unfit
to be called 'free software' I'm pretty sure it's all open source, but for example, snes9x
is considered non-free.

The thing is, though, Debian has a bunch of people working on it that firmly believe that
software that isn't truly free should one day be unnecessary. You'll note that they always
call it GNU/Linux, not just Linux, and that pine is not included. A few months ago, they
even declared one of the Free Software Foundation's licenses non-free. I read about it on
Slashdot awhile back, and it was a bit of a technicality, but it gives you an idea that
they're committed to staying 'free.'

On Wed, Nov 05, 2003 at 10:43:52AM -0800, EMAIL:PROTECTED wrote:
> if deb is considering including non free stuff in the main distro I would be
> leary of that. 
> 
> --- Suman Kanuganti <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> > As now redhat gone, suse gone, I am thinking of debian to switch to after
> > looking at your comments. 
> 
> 
> =====
> --
> proticon konijntjesbroek (arlo gittings) KC0MNN
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