[gentoo-dev] Keeping closed source pkgs (Was: Re: QA issue: No stable skype in Tree)

[Steve Long]

Kent Fredric wrote:
> Gentoo is about choices, one of those choices is the choice to install
> closed-source software, or software with well documented evils, the
> best thing we can do is warn users what they're getting themselves
> into and let them make an informed decision IMO.
>
Sure, so why is ion3 gone again? That was good software, with total source
availability. Consistency matters if Gentoo is to be taken seriously imo.

As for having to run skype, VOIP services are now typically of sufficient
quality that users are not forced to use it.

If skype are arbitrarily forcing the distro to upgrade to their schedule in
such an inconvenient manner, how will they carry on in the future? It seems
to me Gentoo has even more to lose from allowing this bad behaviour on the
part of upstream. Marking it unstable seems the best option, since a user
would have to make a concerted effort to install what may well be a
backdoor, for all we know.

My 2p.


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