[Mageia-dev] Removal of non-free firmware from core section

Wolfgang Bornath molch.b at googlemail.com
Thu Nov 10 16:03:28 CET 2011


2011/11/10 xi <ctrl.alt.sup at free.fr>:
> Wolfgang Bornath wrote:
>>
>> 2011/11/10 Frank Griffin <ftg at roadrunner.com>:
>>>
>>> On 11/10/2011 02:25 AM, Johnny A. Solbu wrote:
>>>>
>>>> In other words, you would prefer to have non-free drivers to remain in
>>>> the
>>>> "core" tree because otherwise some hardware may not work? (Did i
>>>> understand
>>>> you correctly?)
>>>
>>> If we're going to have core and non-free to begin with, then non-free
>>> stuff
>>> shouldn't be in core.  That being said, it isn't the problem here.  The
>>> problem is that non-free isn't as available as core.  It should be, based
>>> on
>>> prompting the user during install.  Those who want a totally free system
>>> that lacks non-free functionality just have to say no.
>>>
>>> If it makes a philosophical difference, then have no default and require
>>> the
>>> user to explicitly answer yes or no, and get treated accordingly.
>>>  Putting
>>> non-free stuff in core is an attempted solution to the problem that
>>> enabling
>>> and using non-free in an installed core-only system is much more
>>> complicated
>>> than it ought to be.  By the time a user boots his installed system,
>>> non-free stuff should already be there if he wants it there.
>>
>> By the time a user boots his installed system he either has the online
>> repositories already set (after install from liveCD) or is just a
>> mouse click away from setting them. When the online repos are set the
>> non-free repo is available if the user wants to have it.
>>
> What about if I don't have internet access ?

Then he should use the liveCD. As has been in Mandriva.

> If it is just a matter of asking to user whether or not he wants to install
> non free firmware, then just go! But if the user with no internet access is
> stuck because of firmware absence, then that's just stupid!

This has been the same in Mandriva times:
 - an installation DVD as Free Edition without non-free stuff
 - installable LiveCDs including non-free drivers.

-- 
wobo


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