Re: [Reuben Thomas] browse-url.el Opera support

[Reuben Thomas]

> Let me add another more down-to-earth argument: if free software
> support non-free tools, like Opera in browse-url.el in this example,
> it becomes the free software people's work to make it work.  The emacs
> maintainers have to apply the patches, document it, change the code
> whenever the tool changes its API, etc.  This takes time, aka money.
> It is not clear why Emacs maintainers should donate time to people
> that don't give anything back.

But it's becoming clear to me that here too, it depends. After all, Emacs
supports Windows and Netscape. It's a bit ironic that if you're a non-free
system with a near-monopoly (as Windows is and Netscape was) you can get
support. Opera, as a non-free product, is much less offensive (in
particular, it tries to be standards-compliant, and Opera Software don't
go around foisting new "standards" on the world) but it's too small to be
worth supporting...

> Unless the corporation's is mainly interested in pursuing non-free
> software for its own sake, it may make economical sense for them to
> re-license their software,

Sadly, Opera seem to make most of their money from licensing their
browser.

> Regarding your modified browse-url.el:
>
> It is very difficult to evaluate your work when you send the entire
> file, instead of a patch (use 'diff -u').

Attached. The diff is against browse-url.el as shipped with Emacs 21.3.1;
if you'd like it against CVS or something else, please ask.

> In any case, I don't think
> anyone has requested removing support for already supported non-free
> tools, like Netscape.

I've removed the other changes...

> Also, changing the type of existing variables,
> like browse-url-generic-args,

...including this.

-- 
http://www.mupsych.org/~rrt/ | The only person worth beating is yourself

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