[Fsf-Debian] Non-free firmware question during install

[Paul van der Vlis]

Op 06-08-12 19:24, Andrei POPESCU schreef:
> On Sb, 04 aug 12, 12:12:26, Paul van der Vlis wrote:
>>
>> Is it an idea to change this to: "Some of your hardware needs firmware
>> what's not on the installation media." ?
> 
> I don't agree. At least this way the user if informed why that firmware 
> is missing and she might consider looking into hardware that doesn't 
> require non-free firmware.

Hey Andrey,

You've removed my argumentation:
| In most cases it will be missing non-free firmware, but it's possible
| that there is free firmware what's not on the installation media.
| E.g. because it's really new.

And there is another point: the problem of telling about missing
non-free firmware, is that it can be interpreted as recommending
non-free firmware:

"Previous releases of Debian included nonfree blobs with Linux, the
kernel. With the release of Debian 6.0 (“squeeze”) in February 2011,
these blobs have been moved out of the main distribution to separate
packages in the nonfree repository. However, the problem partly remains:
the installer in some cases recommends these nonfree firmware files for
the peripherals on the machine."
>From http://www.gnu.org/distros/common-distros.html

I thought: "this is an easy way out of this problem, and it is complety
correct".

If you have a constructive other idea, please tell about it.

With regards,
Paul van der Vlis.

-- 
Paul van der Vlis Linux systeembeheer, Groningen
http://www.vandervlis.nl