gNewSense makes sense [LWN.net]

gNewSense makes sense

Posted Feb 3, 2007 20:05 UTC (Sat) by filipjoelsson (subscriber, #2622)
In reply to: gNewSense makes sense by jstAusr
Parent article: gNewSense makes sense

If my assumptions regarding firmware are correct, gNewSense seems like a good distribution choice.

"If" is the operative word here. You have made a host of assumptions about firmware and gNewSense that you have not explained:

Will gNewSense work with the hardware in question? No.
Would a user without the hardware in question be owned by the hardware manufacturer who distributes the firmware? No.

So the point of the exercise is which of these?

To render your hardware useless?
To force users to code open firmware without documentation?
To force users to boycott hardware vendors who distribute only closed firmware?

Neither of these has anything to do with Debian vs gNewSense. This is a question of checking your hardware's support for Linux before buying it, and gNewSense is not helping in any relevant way. A hardware blacklist might help for that - but in the shape of a distro? How is that "the right tool for the right job" or "keep it simple, stupid"?

The question begs to be answered.

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