Re: Why does Debian default to Gnome?

* Steve Lamb <grey@xxxxxxxxx> [2005 Dec 29 23:44 -0600]:
> Brian Nelson wrote:
> > s/non-free/GPL-incompatible/
>
> The problem was that the Windows version was not free while the Linux
> version was.

I believe the Windows version is still non-free, but that doesn't
matter to Debian. I've not kept close track so I don't know if anyone
has gone to the trouble of porting the GPL Qt to Windows.

As I recall, the license on the Qt library was considered DFSG non-free
because any source changes were only allowed to be distributed as
patches--a restriction that violates the DFSG.

It's interesting to note that the historically "more free" GTK is LGPL
which allows proprietary software to be built on it while the
historically "less free" Qt is now GPL on Linux which prohibits
proprietary software being built on it. ;-)

Back to the OP, GNOME is default in Debian because the decision was
made years ago when the Qt/KDE license debate raged. Something should
be the default and at least Debian allows you to choose one, the other,
or none at all which is how it should be. At some point there may be a
technical/philisophical reason that the default will be re-evaluated.

- Nate >>

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