Is your Linux box completely open source?

Wally Balljacker · Post by **Wally Balljacker** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 3:50 am

After listening to the last episode of LugRadio, it really made me think about how a Linux box with proprietary graphics drivers, semi-legal multimedia codecs, and technologies such as Flash and Java, is really no better than Mac OS X. They brought up a good point, which was once you add non-free bits to your Linux system, it's tainted. It doesn't matter if it's only 5%, it's still soiled, and I completely agree with that.

Now, personally I use the proprietary NVIDIA driver, Java, Flash, and all that other stuff because there's really no viable alternatives. I don't have anything against adding non-free software to a Linux system when needed, but when people talk about how corrupt OS X is, with having a mix of open source technologies, and Apple's own proprietary Aqua interface, I find that to be somewhat hypocritical, when the same people are essentially doing the same thing with their own Linux boxes.

snarkout · Post by **snarkout** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:00 am

Oh horseshit. Sure, maybe if you're RMS, but otherwise that's just a bunch of pedantic crap. I use linux because I want to - I'm not some fuckhead idealist who insists everything in the world is "gratis." It doesn't make you a bad person to use "closed" stuff. In fact, I'm overjoyed that I *can* use flash, java and nvidia on my linux box. Honestly, I probably would still only use linux for server-type stuff if I *didn't* have those options.

Wally Balljacker · Post by **Wally Balljacker** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:05 am

Snarkout wrote:Oh horseshit. Sure, maybe if you're RMS, but otherwise that's just a bunch of pedantic crap. I use linux because I want to - I'm not some fuckhead idealist who insists everything in the world is "gratis." It doesn't make you a bad person to use "closed" stuff. In fact, I'm overjoyed that I *can* use flash, java and nvidia on my linux box. Honestly, I probably would still only use linux for server-type stuff if I *didn't* have those options.

I agree with that, but how can someone bash OS X when they're running proprietary software on their own Linux or BSD system. How is that any better from an ethical RMS standpoint?

snarkout · Post by **snarkout** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:34 am

Oh, c'mon - there's a world of difference between running 100% proprietary (other than what they've ripped off from the open source world) software that is MAJORLY locked to hardware and running a few proprietary softwares on your linux/bsd box. Anyone who would say otherwise is completely idealist or completely full of shit. Period. I don't give a rat's ass if the almighty LugRadio guys disagree with me or not.

That being said - I think OS X is a damn fine OS. It's just too bad that Jobs is such an asshole. I grew up around the man, I have the right to say that. He is a complete dickhead. I know Pat has a hardon for Apple, but IMO, as I've said many times, Apple is 10,000 times better than MS, if only because of its "unix-like" core. If MS were the only game in town, I'd probably not own a computer - I could at least live with Apple.

johnnywtllts · Post by **johnnywtllts** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:01 am

I'm going to go buy the latest 1,000.00+ Apple laptop, and download the latest TWIT episode and play it on my 300.00 IPOD (protected by it's very own 99.00 leather case) and listen to Leo and crew (maybe Apple's gonna make an announcement this week - or maybe Leo's just made a Mac cruise with Woz) - maybe Robert will review the latest 10,000.00 plasma TV - that I'll buy and watch the latest Disney release on......please don't equate Apple with Linux just because we have to use a couple of proprietary components in an otherwise Free and Open OS.

Post by **Patrick** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:48 am

Apple is a closed and proprietary OS that happens to built on the backs of the FOSS community. They give nothing back after taking what they want. I have no problem people running whatever they want on their linux boxes. Even with the closed components it's still a better choice than either OSX or WinXP. Now if I woke up one morning and linux no longer existed I would either run BSD or OSX and gasp, buy Apple products. Thanks God that's just a horrible nightmare.

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:09 pm

Patrick wrote:Now if I woke up one morning and linux no longer existed I would either run BSD or OSX and gasp, buy Apple products.

I doubt you'd run OS X, if Linux just vanished from planet earth I still think you'd have Apple as a thorn on your eye

By the way, BSD is great, I have OpenBSD running on a few boxes of mine, NetBSD is going to be on my forth coming Mac mini (Which I'm buying second hand, so no money for Steve!).

thetza · Post by **thetza** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:40 pm

I consider my main workstation to be 100% free. I use the nv driver, no java/flash (I wouldn't put those on my machine even they were free), nothing. about the only 'iffy' thing I do is listen to legal mp3's.

However, I cheat and keep a second machine with all that crap... proprietary nvidia drivers, unreal 2004, win32 codecs, etc (though still no java/flash).

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:46 pm

I really really hope that the Azureus developers will make that freaking app work with some of the GNU folks' Java stuff, because I'm really getting tired of my use of it being tied to the platforms that Sun supports.

CptnObvious999 · Post by **CptnObvious999** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 3:50 pm

I only have 4 proprietary programs on my computer right now: flash (waiting for gnash), java (1.5 is needed for my programming class and there is no FLOSS 1.5 clone yet), binary nvidia drivers (cuz Im a sucker for performance

), and Quake 4 (because I got bored and I wanted to have at least one great commercial game). I could live without Quake 4 and nVidia binaries but the other 2 are basically forced on me and they do both have FLOSS alternatives however they are not sufficient yet. I take great pride in the fact that not much of my software is proprietary. I also know Flash and Java could not be changed so I would have to pay for them so it seems almost impossible to lock me in at my current state.