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Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

[Posted April 28, 2005 by cook]

NewsForge reviews the Ututo-e distribution. "Ututo-e is a Gentoo-based distribution developed in Argentina. Of all the x86 distributions listed on DistroWatch, Ututo-e is the only distribution endorsed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). Since he first noticed Ututo-e while visiting Argentina last August, Richard Stallman has described it as "the only free GNU/Linux distro I know of" -- an endorsement that promises to boost its user base the way that John F. Kennedy's endorsement of the James Bond books boosted their sales."

(Log in to post comments)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 15:12 UTC (Thu) by trutkin (guest, #3919) [Link]

So JFK's James Bond comment boosted the book sales, I'm guessing from context? I hadn't heard
of that incident before.

Re: James Bond and JFK

Posted Apr 28, 2005 17:08 UTC (Thu) by BruceByfield (guest, #20966) [Link]

Ian Fleming started publishing the Bond novels in the early Fifties, but it took JFK's endorsement to create the modern Bond movies franchise.

An internet search can give you the full story.

- Bruce Byfield

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 16:40 UTC (Thu) by yodermk (subscriber, #3803) [Link]

So Debian isn't Free? What the....?

Is RMS classifying Debian that way because of the existence of the non-free repository or the fact that their docs aren't 100% free in Sarge?

Then there's stuff like Tom's RootBoot, which I would be highly surprised if it contained anything non-free. And probably 50 others... so how is RMS figuring this?

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 17:19 UTC (Thu) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330) [Link]

It's because of non-free. The argument that "non-free is not part of Debian" doesn't hold up; it obviously is, and claims otherwise are just word games. For example, notice that release-critical bugs that are in non-free are counted at release-critical for Debian.

The GFDL dispute has been waived for Sarge, but even after that, Debian will be including all those docs. They're just going to change the label from "main" to "non-free". And that is all it is, a label.

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 18:16 UTC (Thu) by tao (guest, #17563) [Link]

Well, I'm pretty sure ututo-e contains GFDL:d documents, hence it's nonfree...

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 19:27 UTC (Thu) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330) [Link]

But RMS disagrees, so to him a distro with GFDL manuals is free.

Now, I agree with the Debian folks that there are problems with the GFDL, even though I have some sympathy for what RMS is trying to do with the invariant sections. He feels that people have been trying to write him out of history for years (like ESR and friends trying to keep RMS out of conferences, thinking he'd be bad for business), and that it's appropriate for him to use the means of the GFDL to get his message out. I think that the message would go out just as well without invariant sections.

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 21:12 UTC (Thu) by gallir (guest, #5735) [Link]

Really? Is it true what you said about ESR?

Not quite surprising, but it's the first time I read it.

Can you give some pointers where I can read more?

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 17:53 UTC (Thu) by sbergman27 (subscriber, #10767) [Link]

The thing that I find most interesting about this story is that it defines exactly where RMS draws the line as far as compromise. He will use a distribution that he does not feel is completely free instead of one that is totally free for reasons of pure practicality and convenience. I'm not saying that's bad. Just that it is interesting.

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 22:32 UTC (Thu) by maney (subscriber, #12630) [Link]

Excuse me, but for two decades Stallman has bee using, by necessity, less than totally free systems. What's so interesting about the fact that he (and the FSF) prefer to continue using the mostly-free distribution they've been using for years while the entirely free but not quite ready newcomer improves is... pragmatic, certainly, but interesting? I can't see it, really I can't. After two decades spent working towards a completely free system, I would think it would be surprising if Stallman weren't very practical about deciding when it was ready... and waiting until it was.

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 29, 2005 0:48 UTC (Fri) by gallir (guest, #5735) [Link]

I'm sure in the last 10 years [*] RMS used only free software/system in
his computers. One thing is that a _whole_ distro is not entirely free,
another completely different story is that you _install_ or not those
non-free programs in your computer. I have no doubts RMS knew how to
select the right packages.

[*] Which means he's used non-free systems perhaps less than ten years.

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 28, 2005 21:14 UTC (Thu) by piman (subscriber, #8957) [Link]

Of course, I seem to recall RMS making the same statement about some other distribution (LinEx?) last year, only to have many people point out scads of non-free software in it.

For example, has Ututo-e done the work of removing all the non-free code from X? The Linux kernel? Random programs that ship non-free RSA implementations? The Python profiler? Are they shipping an improperly-linked copy of RPM? etc. Maybe it lacks the "big" non-free software like Java, but what's the point if you let it infest the rest of your system in small pieces?

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 29, 2005 12:37 UTC (Fri) by man_ls (subscriber, #15091) [Link]

Of course, I seem to recall RMS making the same statement about some other distribution (LinEx?) last year, only to have many people point out scads of non-free software in it.

Yes, it was Linex, since renamed as "gnuLinEx". I would guess that gnuLinEx developers were overzealous when presenting their free distribution; and RMS's stated purpose is to remind people once in a while of the importance of using free software. So it's not an important mistake.

Ututo-e, the 'only free distribution' (NewsForge)

Posted Apr 30, 2005 3:12 UTC (Sat) by mem (subscriber, #517) [Link]

Nope, they have a big chunk of non-free stuff in their distribution. I pointed out the most balant non-free programs included in Ututu-e to RMS and he forwarded the information to the developers. I got no comment back on the non-free pieces inside the kernel. If you point specific files to RMS he'll forward and they'll remove.

When I pointed out that he was being deceived he didn't like that comment much, so I recommend you to limit yourself to "this file is non-free because of this reason".

Mandrake is also free (in the "download" version

Posted May 1, 2005 5:42 UTC (Sun) by Richard_J_Neill (subscriber, #23093) [Link]

Mandrake has a standard version (the one they make available for free public download) that is entirely Free SW. No Java, no nasty binary drivers, etc. Of course you can pay extra for the commercial packages, or use a non-free mirror (such as the penguin liberation front packages [most of which are also GPL, but some possible 'infringement' on sw. patents]). So, I fail to see what is special about Ututo-e. One could achieve the same effect with most of the major distros, given some slightly careful choice about package selection.

It's not just about the software.

Posted May 1, 2005 23:53 UTC (Sun) by grantingram (subscriber, #18390) [Link]

The issue in so far as getting the FSF to endorse your distribution (as I understand it) is not just what software is included in it, but also if it encourages you to use proprietary software or not. The FSF Website tells you a little more.

Mandrake's commerical offerings (e.g. the club) include non-free software and they encourage their users to join the club, therefore I imagine they would fail any FSF test.

Heh, I like this

Posted May 1, 2005 18:29 UTC (Sun) by Arker (guest, #14205) [Link]

For a graphical interface, Ututo-e offers IceWM or GNOME 2.8. Both are largely uncustomized, except for the distribution-specific wallpaper in GNOME, which, in the root account, features the message "YOU ARE ROOT - USTED ES ROOT" printed twice in large red letters, presumably to remind readers to be cautious.

That's kind of a cool touch, but really X should just refuse to run for root to begin with.