Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Status of google chrome and chromium

[Karl Goetz]

On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 08:48:07 +0200
"A.J. Venter" <address@hidden> wrote:

> Hi all,
> Some of you may have noticed the news that google-chrome released an
> official GNU/Linux beta yesterday.  Chromium (the community project

I wasn't aware, but its nice they got around to it.

> it's built on) is BSD-licensed and obviously then free software
> (though we may
> raise queries about it's plugins/extensions at least the code is free
> there) but the download page for google-chrome shows this agreement:
> http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?hl=en&platform=linux&brand=CHFK
> 
> Which is most certainly not compliant with most of the four freedoms.
> My feeling at this stage, is that chrome is probably non-free and
> chromium is free but problematic - but since I'm rather a fan of the
> technology in it, I thought
> I would seek some opinions about this understanding. Considering the
> likely future popularity of this browser on our platforms, I think we
> need a consensus on whether we will provide, provide a forked version,
> or leave it out completely. Seeing as kongoni does not exist in a
> vacuum - I reckoned this is something the free distro's need a
> collective decision on.

I don't see why it needs special treatment. If its free software,
people should be allowed to package it/integrate it. If its not, it
needs to stay out.

That said, it carries a lot of convenience code (as Brett said), which
is a security issue (if nothing other then the extra work required
to keep things updated after a security issue is found)
kk

-- 
Karl Goetz, (Kamping_Kaiser / VK5FOSS)
Debian contributor / gNewSense Maintainer
http://www.kgoetz.id.au
No, I won't join your social networking group

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