houghi schrieb:
On Sat, Aug 27, 2005 at 03:00:31AM +0200, JBScout wrote: <snip>
for the OSS-version of openSUSE I can't see a way that is realistic. first: the needed software should be also OSS because all in that version will be.
<snip>
I think you are wrong here. It is SUSE that is open, not the software packages in itself. Wth SUSE I mean Yast and all the tools that come with it. If you do your first update, you can download the NVidea drivers and the Microsoft fonts. Neither or OSS.
sorry, but I think you are wrong, too .... sorry ;) [maybe we are both, but thats why we are on that list to talk about it ;)] - nvidia-driver: the interface between OS and driver is open source, while the driver itself is closed source. when you look into the source of the script that install the driver via yast you can see that it downloads the driver direct fron nividia - not the "last" one but one thats a little bit older and - mybe - more stable than the last one. the stepts that the script takes to install is the same as you would try it yourself - only different is that you can't see what it does. when you try a version directly loaded from nvidia it will looks for a compatble interface to the running kernel, and if it down't find it, it will compile one - from the source of the the interface that is included in the downloaded file. so, at all, the driver is a more "hybrid" - a little bit open source, and the rest closed source. - MS core fonts: near the same as above: the script fetches some file from sourceforge.net and istall that fonts. it includes some of the core font files that are the same then the one microsoft offers for downloading from there site - but they aren't loaded directly from MS. the the files are open scource, while the content they have are closed source ( hmm, I don't know if that term matches here, because "open source" for fonts .... I don't know. but they are free of charge as they are at the MS-site).
If there would be a closed source to be installed, so be it. (as long as it is legal).
ok - that deepends on the look of view of every user himself. there are out a lot of people who *never* would mix a OSS-system with closed software, and some say "uh - why not". how mutch software has to be OSS, and how mutch software could be closed software, so the hole system is still OSS ? I don't know.
I could see a site where you would have to buy the program for download. That way openSUSE could link to there and instalation could be done somehow from within YAST, perhaps.
same as obove. I think it depends on the look of view of individuals. but I think that not mutch of users of a OSS-system would buy a software ( esp. when that is closed software). I may be wrong here too, but at least thats what you could read when you read in some forums about OSS etc.
houghi
just my two cents, JBscout PS: yes, I would pay for the software - even when it's closed. but I will have to think about it if buy the boxed version again and that will came out without the needed tools. then it would be better they put 5 Euros on top of the price I have to pay already for the box, and I'm happy with it. but not without it.