Comments on: Remove non-free software on your system Using vrms (Virtual Richard M. Stallman) http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html Ubuntu Linux Tutorials,Howtos,Tips & News | Jaunty,Karmic,Lucid Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:55:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Doug http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html/comment-page-1#comment-1050 Doug Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:34:13 +0000 http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html#comment-1050 Yeah for me the problem is - what if there is a bug that the company hasn't fixed and doesn't look like it will fix in a long time? what if there is a feature you really need and you know it is simple to add but the company won't? what if the company drops the project or goes out of business? what if the software is doing things it shouldn't be doing (i.e., spyware)? That said, with things like nvidia drivers or printing pdfs (using acroread instead of evince), I use the propietary because they work the best. But with programming for example, I stopped using proprietary options like realbasic (on the mac) and microsoft .net (I have used mono instead). Also now I am going back to doing more java development. It will be nice to see more java stuff integrated into ubuntu now that java and netbeans and other related things are GPL. Yeah for me the problem is - what if there is a bug that the company hasn’t fixed and doesn’t look like it will fix in a long time? what if there is a feature you really need and you know it is simple to add but the company won’t? what if the company drops the project or goes out of business? what if the software is doing things it shouldn’t be doing (i.e., spyware)?

That said, with things like nvidia drivers or printing pdfs (using acroread instead of evince), I use the propietary because they work the best. But with programming for example, I stopped using proprietary options like realbasic (on the mac) and microsoft .net (I have used mono instead). Also now I am going back to doing more java development. It will be nice to see more java stuff integrated into ubuntu now that java and netbeans and other related things are GPL.

]]> By: Korkman http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html/comment-page-1#comment-1049 Korkman Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:13:18 +0000 http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html#comment-1049 In response to megaloman: Simply said, non-free software, or even closed source software like nvidia 3d drivers, are responsible for lots of headaches in the open source world. Example: An important point in open source is portability. Binary code cannot be used on foreign systems. Linux ATI drivers cannot and will probably never support newer ATI graphics cards on PowerPC Macs. Result: 2D only for Ubuntu on PowerBook. Another example: Qmail has a restrictive license which forbids binary distribution, thus making it non-free, though open source. So you need to compile it yourself, personally, to use it. That's the problem. In response to megaloman:

Simply said, non-free software, or even closed source software like nvidia 3d drivers, are responsible for lots of headaches in the open source world.

Example: An important point in open source is portability. Binary code cannot be used on foreign systems. Linux ATI drivers cannot and will probably never support newer ATI graphics cards on PowerPC Macs. Result: 2D only for Ubuntu on PowerBook.

Another example: Qmail has a restrictive license which forbids binary distribution, thus making it non-free, though open source. So you need to compile it yourself, personally, to use it.

That’s the problem.

]]> By: megaloman http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html/comment-page-1#comment-1048 megaloman Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:02:14 +0000 http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html#comment-1048 I don't understand what is all about. What is the problem? Why you don't want to use proprietary drivers on linux systems? I don't mind if my desktop is driven by proprietary driver - I use nvidia graphics cards and had no problems with them, the only problem I had, that kernel/x.org developers made it difficult to install drivers on newer versions of kernel/x.org... shame on you guys! I don’t understand what is all about. What is the problem? Why you don’t want to use proprietary drivers on linux systems? I don’t mind if my desktop is driven by proprietary driver - I use nvidia graphics cards and had no problems with them, the only problem I had, that kernel/x.org developers made it difficult to install drivers on newer versions of kernel/x.org… shame on you guys!

]]> By: Scurvy Anonymous http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html/comment-page-1#comment-1047 Scurvy Anonymous Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:43:28 +0000 http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html#comment-1047 It will <b>not</b> remove anything. VRMS will just inform you how many non-free packages are installed in your system. It will not remove anything. VRMS will just inform you how many non-free packages are installed in your system.

]]> By: Sureinlux http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html/comment-page-1#comment-1046 Sureinlux Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:28:30 +0000 http://www.ubuntugeek.com/remove-non-free-software-on-your-system-using-vrms-virtual-richard-m-stallman.html#comment-1046 Does that mean that vrms will remove the nvidia graphics driver??? Am confused Does that mean that vrms will remove the nvidia graphics driver??? Am confused

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