gNewSense Install

[bhobjj]

A couple of days ago, I installed gNewSense.
Since it is a fork of Ubuntu, it has the same Ubiquity problems as Ubuntu:

I had the installer crash on my 1st two installation attempts.
The ubiquity installer overwrites the mbr with grub without asking.
Other partitions that I had purposely unchecked showed up mounted and with links on the user desktop, so I had to undo this.



I installed a few more programs:
# aptitude install fortune festival timidity pppconfig gxine xmms abiword gnumeric lynx gcc g++ vim mc wine dosbox gpppon jpilot kino checkinstall wordnet txt2pdbdoc audacity sox xchat ffmpeg vlc zsh

I changed the theme to "Ocean Dream" for something easier on my eyes.

I found (and removed) a non-free font (ttf-gentium) that had been installed.

The non-free bits have been removed from the kernel.
The /home/XXX/examples/ directory has had the Ubuntu examples replaced with Gnu examples. The artwork has been changed. Other than these things, it looks like Ubuntu. Maybe this will change over time.

It would be nice if Gnash (http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/) was installed by default. Maybe by the next release, Sun will have a Gnu compatible free license for Java.

Hopefully, gNewSense will attract lots of talent to keep the project going.

It is not something that I would install for a new windows refugee. In the past several years, I have helped some local people "try Linux". People that have broadband expect java, streaming video and flash to work. I help them install Debian, Ubuntu, Mepis, Fedora, etc. Then I explain non-free and finally show them how to install these things. I now have a several converts that are helping to spread the truth.

[fos]

I'm not real impressed with gnewsense at this time. I'm looking forward to the December (hopefully) release of Debian.

fos....

[deanlinkous]

I change the theme first thing.
No installer crashes here.
gentium is free

All in all it is as good as Ubuntu IMO but I am not a big fan of Ubuntu for various reasons.

[bhobjj]

gentium is free


Yes, it is free. But it is not compatable with the gpl because of this restriction:

"1) Neither the Font Software nor any of its individual components,
in Standard or Modified Versions, may be sold by itself. "

It clearly states that I am not allowed to sell a modified version.

[deanlinkous]

I am not allowed to sell a modified version

I don't think it does. It says you may not sell it (modified or not) by itself. The phrase "by itself" IMO would basically mean you are offering the font, only the font, and nothing but the font. Include anything at all with it and you are fine. That is a strange requirement but I thought the FSF has said that it is weird requirement but should be okay since nobody should want to distribute the font by itself as it applies to GNU.

[danieldk]

I don't think it does. It says you may not sell it (modified or not) by itself.

That says enough, it is not free software. (Though, another question is whether fonts are software ;)).

[deanlinkous]

It is a VERY poor provision and I really do not understand the reasoning behind it at all. All one must do i include *anything* with it and it IS free yet by itself it is not?

The FSF holds that fonts are not software.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html#Fonts
The Open Font License is a Free copyleft license for fonts.

Here is a good post from Dave Turner of the FSF that talks about some font issues.
http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/20050425novalis

I don't think it meets debians definition of free though due to renaming restrictions on modifications or something. I think I seen something on the lists not too long ago.

btw - it appears we have veeered off topic ;)

[bhobjj]

I don't think it meets debians definition of free though due to renaming restrictions on modifications or something. I think I seen something on the lists not too long ago.



You are right, Dean
I was wrong, it is considered free. Check the end of this page "SIL Open Font License 1.0":

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html

This is a fairly new license:
http://trends.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/02/22/1821200&from=rss

btw - it appears we have veeered off topic ;)
:p yep

[deanlinkous]

Occasionally I am right, even though it is rare. Of course, I always talk like I am right whether I am or not. :D