[GNU-linux-libre] [gnu.org #1262331] (inactive Linux distributions)

[Therese Godefroy via RT]

Hello Jaromil,

Le Ven 19 Jan 2018 09:41:10, address@hidden a écrit :
> On Fri, 19 Jan 2018, Therese Godefroy via RT wrote:
> 
> > Besides, it's very easy to do: when a distro becomes "dangerously"
> > unmaintained (meaning no security updates, unless it is never used
> > on the net), just comment out the corresponding entry in
> > /distros/free-distros.html and /help/gnu-bucks.html (+ whatever page
> > I don't know about). When the distro is active again, restore the
> > entry.
> 
> please note that the bounty we all accepted is regarding the fact
> distros are 100% free. But I do agree with the other suggestion of
> listing known bugs, just like should be done in any software.
[...]

Please note that, when I wrote this, I wasn't thinking ot Dyne:bolic. An 
earlier post on gnu-linux-libre [0] made clear that the only distro which 
currently may be said to be "dangerously" unmaintained is BLAG. Being free is a 
plus, but I don't think it's a good idea to recommend a distro that doesn't 
provide up-to-date security patches.

What I most object to is advertising an outdated distro which isn't meant to be 
used offline to people who know nothing about GNU/Linux distros, let alone bug 
lists. One of these persons might push the prominent button on the home page of 
gnu.org, reach free-distros.html, install the first distro on the list (which 
happens to be BLAG), and find out the hard way that the browser still contains 
a bad security flaw which got patched in later versions. Do you think it will 
help the cause of free software? Fortunately, this is just a bad dream. This 
person will be unable to install BLAG because the repo can't be reached 
anymore. But this won't help the cause of FS either.

That said, I am very grateful to people like you who maintain fully free 
distros.

Best regards,
Thérèse

[0] https://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/gnu-linux-libre/2018-01/msg00004.html