From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Katherine Cox-Buday Subject: Re: Packaging a free Firefox Date: Wed, 16 May 2018 10:44:20 -0500 Message-ID: <87fu2rip0r.fsf@gmail.com> References: <87y3h1g42q.fsf@lassieur.org> <87tvrlhi58.fsf@hyperbola.info> <878t8xo9t9.fsf@gnu.org> <20180506125312.aadd4fixeungiwv6@thebird.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:38621) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fIybN-0002Ni-5n for guix-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 16 May 2018 11:44:33 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fIybI-0008UH-UN for guix-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 16 May 2018 11:44:29 -0400 Received: from mail-it0-x22f.google.com ([2607:f8b0:4001:c0b::22f]:50882) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fIybI-0008Sb-MI for guix-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 16 May 2018 11:44:24 -0400 Received: by mail-it0-x22f.google.com with SMTP id p3-v6so3061753itc.0 for ; Wed, 16 May 2018 08:44:24 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <20180506125312.aadd4fixeungiwv6@thebird.nl> (Pjotr Prins's message of "Sun, 6 May 2018 14:53:12 +0200") List-Id: "Development of GNU Guix and the GNU System distribution." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: guix-devel-bounces+gcggd-guix-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: "Guix-devel" To: Pjotr Prins Cc: guix-devel@gnu.org Pjotr Prins writes: >> Not packaging FF or crippling FF is a no-go! Doing so will discourage >> users from using GuixSD and Free Software. As an anecdote with a data-point of one, I uninstalled GuixSD because I suddenly needed the machine I was running it on to be my daily driver. I had been attempting to package Firefox whenever I had a spare moment, but I ran out of time and needed it to work as I didn't have time to migrate all the machines I use to a libre-friendly browser (nor am I sure I want to). > That is an interesting one. GNU Guix, by virtue of it being a GNU > project needs to abide by GNU free software terms. But even among core > project members there are variations in thought in how to compromise > with user requirements. A package manager that does not target user > needs is a shitty package manager. This is one reason I champion the > concept of channels: > > guix channel firefox http://some-origin/guix-channels/firefox > guix package -i firefox > > so we can make GNU Guix as pure as possible and leverage less pure > concepts (such as Firefox and Conda) into something that is not > considered part of the core project. I think it would also render > other maintenance benefits, for example versioning of old software > would become much easier. > > guix channel ruby-1.8 http://some-origin/guix-channels/ruby-1.8 > guix package -i ruby > > I hope we get something like this at some point. So do I. I completely agree with the points made elsewhere in this thread about joining idealism with pragmatism, and I think channels are a good way to allow people who want/need to run less-than-libre software to remain with and support Guix, without forcing the project to adopt software contrary to its goals. -- Katherine