[GNUz] How does GLU/GNUz differ from CLUG?

[Rik Tindall]

Nick Rout wrote:
> Timothy Musson wrote:
>> [1] Rik, there's no doubt that Ubuntu includes non-Free software, and
>>     intends to include more in future. To "opt out", you need to pick a
>>     GNU/Linux distro that does gymnastics to compile a truly free Linux
>>     kernel. Ubuntu doesn't do that.   
>
> I asked on the CLUG list earlier this week if Rik's support of ubuntu 
> arose out of whether it refused to install non-free software by 
> default (at that time I thought it didn't install anything non-free by 
> default and that you had to go out and install it if you wanted it. 
> However on watching a newly installed ubuntu box boot last night it 
> clearly says "loading restricted drivers" - so now I am not so sure.

 From the horse's mouth, http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/licensing :

"All of the application software installed by default is Free Software. 
In addition, we install some hardware drivers that are available only in 
binary format, but such packages are clearly marked in the restricted 
component."


So you, like me, probably chose to use the package like 
linux-restricted-modules-2.6.15-26-k7 :

"Non-free Linux 2.6.15 modules on AMD K7
This package provides restricted modules for Linux version 2.6.15 on
AMD Duron/Athlon.
Currently the following modules are included:
 - madwifi (Atheros)
 - fglrx (ATI)
 - nvidia
 - fcdsl, fcdsl2, fcdslsl, fcdslslusb, fcdslusb, fcdslusb2, fcdslusba,
   fcpci, fcpcmcia, fcpcmcia_cs, fcusb, fxusb (AVM ISDN)

These modules are 'restricted' because they are not available under a
completely Free licence."

- At least I think I remember choosing to use that..

But to answer Nick's Q, I like Ubuntu because it gives me a working, 
quite true Debian, easily. It is the Debian sensibility I like the most 
(if not the tricks required for using the Debian distro) at the heart of 
Ubuntu, which has added its own enriching value layer too.

hth, Rik