FreeBSD brave on the multimedia issues?

[Tsuroerusu]

I've been playing with FreeBSD for a little while now, and I've noticed that they actually include libdvdcss on the install CDs! And it's available from all their mirrors in binary format, if FreeBSD can do this why can't pretty much every Linux distro? I checked at OpenBSD and they do the same thing.

[Judland]

Actually, Arch Linux supplies libdvdcss on their repository as well. It's in the "Extra" directory.

[Tsuroerusu]

Actually, Arch Linux supplies libdvdcss on their repository as well. It's in the "Extra" directory.

I know, but I've never seen any free operating system actually including libdvdcss on the install discs, and if I'm not mistaken, the retail FreeBSD CDs you can buy at CompUSA also has libdvdcss on it!
If FreeBSD can do this, why can't SUSE do it too?

[Gomer_X]

I've been playing with FreeBSD for a little while now, and I've noticed that they actually include libdvdcss on the install CDs! And it's available from all their mirrors in binary format, if FreeBSD can do this why can't pretty much every Linux distro? I checked at OpenBSD and they do the same thing.

I think the key is they distribute it as source. To decode DVDs may be illegal, but to tell someone how to do it is not. People used to have T-shirts with de-CSS code on it just to prove this point.

Since you're saying it comes as a binary, though, I'm not sure how they get away with it. I don't recall seeing it when I installed FreeBSD.

[Tsuroerusu]

I've been playing with FreeBSD for a little while now, and I've noticed that they actually include libdvdcss on the install CDs! And it's available from all their mirrors in binary format, if FreeBSD can do this why can't pretty much every Linux distro? I checked at OpenBSD and they do the same thing.

I think the key is they distribute it as source. To decode DVDs may be illegal, but to tell someone how to do it is not. People used to have T-shirts with de-CSS code on it just to prove this point.

Since you're saying it comes as a binary, though, I'm not sure how they get away with it. I don't recall seeing it when I installed FreeBSD.

I don't think it gets installed by default, unless to choose to during the installation process, but it's definitely on the disc as a binary, trust me I just checked

Both FreeBSD and OpenBSD carry the binaries on their mirrors, even in the US, and I wouldn't be surprised if NetBSD did the same.

[snarkout]

I think the key is they distribute it as source. To decode DVDs may be illegal, but to tell someone how to do it is not. People used to have T-shirts with de-CSS code on it just to prove this point.

Since you're saying it comes as a binary, though, I'm not sure how they get away with it. I don't recall seeing it when I installed FreeBSD.

Emmanuel Goldstein also got his ass handed to him for linking to pages that contained the DeCSS code on them from the 2600 site. I'd say that it's a grey area at best, and that smaller distros can get away with it because they're more or less flying under the radar of the MPAA and govt. snoops.

[Patrick]

I'd say that it's a grey area at best, and that smaller distros can get away with it because they're more or less flying under the radar of the MPAA and govt. snoops.

Yeah, but what do think is running the guindance systems on most of the current weapons systems? Listen to the interview with Scott Long. Who does he work for? What is his area of expertise? Hello, hello....

[Tsuroerusu]

I'd say that it's a grey area at best, and that smaller distros can get away with it because they're more or less flying under the radar of the MPAA and govt. snoops.

Yeah, but what do think is running the guindance systems on most of the current weapons systems? Listen to the interview with Scott Long. Who does he work for? What is his area of expertise? Hello, hello....

Yeah man, FreeBSD is one of the big guys!

I find it a bit friendlier for multimedia because it doesn't cripple anything or prevent you from installing any sort of plugins like Win32 codecs or QuickTime.

[snarkout]

Maybe Scott explained to the MPAA how things were going to work. Maybe they didn't want to eat hot death for lunch. Maybe.