[Solar-general] Linspire ahora sera gratis: Freespire

[Sebastian Bassi]

Bueno, hoy estoy pasando noticias como una vieja chusma :)
Me acabo de enterar que Linspire saco una distro "comunitaria".
La URL es: http://www.freespire.org/
Tiene un FAQ muy extenso, de donde extraigo esto:



6. So, is Freespire open source or proprietary?

Again, the choice is yours. There are two versions of Freespire
available. The main Freespire version is approximately 99% open
source, as it does include certain proprietary drivers, codecs and
software in cases where there are no viable open source solutions yet
available. For example, either out of the box, or through products in
the CNR Warehouse, Freespire offers legally licensed support for: MP3,
DVD, Windows Media, QuickTime, Java, Flash, Real, ATI drivers, nVidia
drivers, Adobe Acrobat Reader, proprietary WiFi drivers, and so on.
However, if you prefer, you can choose the version of Freespire which
is composed of only open source code and contains no proprietary
software whatsoever.

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7. But won't Freespire hurt the momentum of open source by offering
the option of proprietary codecs, drivers and applications?

No, quite the opposite. To influence the future of computing to become
more open, Linux must first expand its circle of influence by gaining
a much larger user base. A big portion of the world is turned off by
Linux, because it doesn't legally support things like MP3, DVD, Java,
Flash, Windows Media, QuickTime, etc., out of the box. Asking millions
of people to throw away their iPods (or other favorite MP3 player) or
to not legally watch DVDs on their computer, is just too much to ask
for most users. The Freespire project believes in providing a free
marketplace where the user can decide what software to install and
use.

There are two approaches to promoting open source software: 1) avoid
any use of existing non-free software, or 2) use some non-free
software while free alternatives are being developed. The danger in
the first approach is that people will not adopt the solution. The
danger in the second approach is that free alternatives will not be
developed fast enough because the proprietary alternatives are too
compelling. Freespire takes the second approach for the most part. The
first approach (an operating system that uses 100% open source
offerings), is already well represented in the Linux marketplace, and
Freespire salutes those who are representing that approach. Hopefully
between their good work and the approach offered by Freespire, Linux
will find its way to a much wider audience of mainstream users.
(Freespire also supports the first approach with their 100% open
source version.)

22. Why did Linspire start the Freespire project?

Linspire has been a long-time supporter of many open source projects,
such as: Debian, Mozilla/Firefox, Nvu, Lsongs, Lphoto, libipod,
ReiserFS, GAIM, KDE, KDE-look, Kopete, K3B, and so on. (Visit
www.linspire.com/opensource for a complete listing.) Linspire wanted
to extend that work to the entire operating system by creating a
community-driven project to help us with our work. Work that goes into
Debian, Ubuntu, Freespire, and so on, all finds its way into our
commercial Linspire product line. Because Freespire includes the CNR
technology, it will most closely mirror the Linspire model of software
distribution and management, so we're happy to support such a project.

43. Does Linspire have plans to offer the CNR Service for other Linux
distributions, besides Linspire and Freespire?

Quite possible. This is a key reason Linspire wanted to open source
the CNR client software. Currently the CNR Service only works with
Linspire and Freespire, but in time, we can envision the communities
from other distros working with us to modify CNR software to work with
other popular distributions as well. In the meantime, opening up the
CNR client with Freespire is a good way to start that process, and
involve the help of others in the community to bring this service to a
broader audience of Linux users.

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