Re: proposal to remove linux-Libre from Guix

[Quiliro Ordonez <quiliro@riseup.net>]

El 2019-03-28 21:38, Ricardo Wurmus escribió:
> Quiliro Ordonez <quiliro@riseup.net> writes:
> 
>> Even though linux-Libre is a great kernel because it provides good
>> technical value as well as freedom value, our advocacy for freedom is
>> greatly hindered when people call our project a Linux distribution
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guix_System_Distribution
>> Our advocacy for freedom is confused with the advocacy Linux for more
>> technology and tangentially advocating slavery without remorse.
>>
>> I propose to eliminate linux-Libre from the repos and add kFreeBSD. A
>> new repository, separate from Guix and not connected to the project
>> could be created in order to add linux-Libre. That way, GuixSD could in
>> no way be ever called a Linux distribution. An action like this could
>> even help all other GNU distros as well as distinguish GuixSD from all.
> 
> This is not a reasonable goal and it is not a productive proposal for a
> number of reasons.
> 
> If you want to port the GNU system to have it use the FreeBSD kernel you
> are welcome to give it a try, but this would be a *major* undertaking
> that I can only advise against.  The GNU C library does not natively
> support the FreeBSD kernel, so it is a *much* less realistic goal than
> to build a Hurd-based Guix system.

OK.

> All this for merely giving people a reason to stop using the term “Linux
> distribution”?

No. It is for helping people value the project and thus consider freedom
more valueable than any other feature.

> Linux libre is one of the GNU system’s supported kernels; why should we
> limit our options just because of the terms other people use?  If people
> choose to call Guix a “Linux distribution” that’s their decision (and it
> is understandable from their perspective even if we disagree with that
> point of view) – it would be foolish to interpret this situation as an
> imperative to abandon Linux(-libre).

It is not an imperative to abandon linux-Libre. It is just a hack to
change the political view of users. As it is possible to install any
package from any repo as easily as installing Guix, it is possible to
have linux-Libre in another repo. It would not be a technical change if
there is another default usable kernel. It would be a political choice.

> PS: in case this was meant as a joke: it’s hard to be sure on this
> Internet of ours :)

It is not a joke. But wouldn't it be a good one for April 1st?