“Linux’s most important distribution helps counter the
growing commercial involvement in open source….“
“In a world of NDA-bound business agreements, Debian is an open
book. In a world of mission statements, Debian has a Social
Contract. At a time when commercial distributors are striving to
see how much proprietary software they can pack into a box of
Linux, Debian remains the bastion of software freedom — living
proof that you can have a fully functional and usable operating
system without needing any proprietary code.”
“To date, Debian distributions have had ‘contrib’ areas, ghettos
where the non-free code hangs out. But if backers of a motion to
change the Social Contract get their way, even that will be gone.
The resolution proposes that Debian not include any non-free
software in its base distribution.”
“I think this is an excellent suggestion and hope that it’s
accepted. The Linux world needs at least one distribution that
users and developers can count on to speak through the quality of
its work and to advocate software freedom. There are plenty of
alternatives for those who want amalgams of free and non-free
software — it’s in Debian’s best interest not to join that
pack.”