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Speak up for freedom!
Hi, I'm Matt Lee, the chief webmaster for the GNU Project. This is my first article for BadVista.
Right now, the computer manufacturer Dell is offering you the chance to speak up and give your views on how they can best support GNU/Linux on Dell computers. Unfortunately, none of the distributions listed on Dell's poll appear on our list of free distributions due to their inclusion of non-free software; this includes binary firmware, binary video drivers and other proprietary software, like Flash.
Dell is in a rather unique position, since as a manufacturer of systems they can choose the hardware devices that go into their machines. If they were to build computers specifically for GNU/Linux, or at least ones that could accommodate GNU/Linux and other operating systems, then there's no reason why those machines couldn't be built to support a totally free distribution like gNewSense. Couple that with a free BIOS, and Dell could be onto something pretty huge.
If you're someone who's previously bought a computer from Dell, or would potentially buy a machine from them if they were to make support available to fully-free distributions like gNewSense, then please take a few minutes to complete their survey, and post in the comments below to show your support for this effort.
Tell Dell to sell free software systems
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WANTED: One computer, free software friendly, no Vista
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Here is how I answered the questions (they are answers constrained by the questions, not what I would have preferred).
1) both
2) 1,1,2,2,3,4,
3) 3,1,1,2,5,3,3,5,3 and that last three is 'other, "Personal web server" was my 'other'.
4) 1, and 'other' = "Gnu/Linux, is and can be further localized with help from the community, and expedited by assistance from Dell"
5) "Existing community support structures for Linux that already exist with Dell participating more" and "other: "Fee based support is an excellent adjunct to community support structures, it just should not be Dells only support option."
6) other = "Community supported: gNewSense
Obviously it would be better if one could get a bit more in depth about the important issues involved here, and that starting by supporting a basic and universal GNU distro would be a logical support safe starting point, while still allowing user choice... Recognizing what end users will do is important - but at least starting them in the right direction is a good goal.
Anyway, that seemed the best of the choices as offered. I would appreciate any feed back on this, as I think it would help to have some sense of how best to deal with a form that is biased (I'd rather think biased through lack of understanding, then to put bad on Dell) - they seem to be at least awakening to the revolution happening everywhere.
And despite any media down play, I am a 100% GNU/Linux system builder, for profit (and satisfaction), that has watched demand for my 'custom' systems grow every month... my best sales tool has been provided by Microsoft.
People may not be as tech savvy as some of us want them to be, but by and large they are not stupid - once they catch a glimpse of how DRM is impacting things they want to do they are at my door asking about this 'other operating system'.
I love that part!.
Long post, but it boils down to everyone should get right on the Dell questionnaire, and I though by showing how I dealt with the questions, it might help others, and maybe generate a bit of feed back on how it might be done better.
Area66
There are hundreds of comments already and it's good to see that many are in favor of hardware that is supported by free drivers. (Some just talk about hardware that is supported. Period. Well, nVidia is "supported", but as we know, not by free drivers...)