[Mageia-dev] Mageia repository sections, licenses, restrictions, firmware etc

Marc Paré marc at marcpare.com
Wed Oct 13 19:12:13 CEST 2010


Le 2010-10-13 13:04, Wolfgang Bornath a écrit :
> 2010/10/13 Marc Paré<marc at marcpare.com>:
>>
>> Yes, I have always seen this as a communication problem from the Mandriva
>> documentation. However, it did fit the "at arm's length" legal definition of
>> the installation of these pieces of software. That is to mean that Mandriva,
>> in this case, was not complicit in the installation of that particular
>> software. It was clearly a user decision to install them.
>
> +1
>
> It's easy to communicate, it's easy to implement fitting even those
> "dumb" users some people are talking about. Yesterday I installed the
> new Ubuntu 10.10, a window opened near the end of the installation
> process telling me that my hardware may need/use a non-free driver
> which is available online. The text explains about the non-free status
> in simple words and then I was asked if I wanted to activate this
> non-free driver.
> The same can be done with all that codec stuff. A window opens,
> telling the user that he will need some special software to listen to
> MP3s, watch his commercial DVDs, etc. The text explains in simple
> words the legal implications which may or may not apply to his
> country. After that he can decide with a simple mouse click on yes or
> no or "ask later" (if he has no working internet connection at that
> time. If he clicks on "activate", the needed software will be
> downloaded and installed. If he clicks on "ask later" he will be asked
> as soon as the script detects a working internet connection.
> If he has selected "No" and still tries to open a commecrial DVD (or
> whatever) the window ill appear again reminding him why he can't play
> the DVD (or whatever).
>
> Face it: we do not have any other choice but leave it at the user's
> decision. All we can do is make it simple if he chooses to bite the
> bullet.
>

This sounds like a good alternative also. I like this method too! The 
user is always in control.

This thread is actually good in getting different scenarios of 
implementing "legally grey" software packages. Maybe someone will take 
notes of the different methods that could be used to deliver these type 
of software packages and then the devs or the higher ups will obviously 
make the final decision after considering all of these "delivery" methods.

Marc



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