[gNewSense-users] Mono & gNewSense

[Brian Kemp]

Don,

No need for debate. You find it interesting...we did it to death over
on the Gobuntu-devel mailing list. :)

Mono is in gNewSense.  The System.Xml namespace isn't in there for
some reason, but I assume that's just ancient versions talking...

It works just fine.  I subsequently removed it (I had to write and
test some sample code for a job interview. I got the offer, but the
benefits weren't sufficient, plus they drank the kool-aid a little
more eagerly than my current job. End of digression).

Mono may or may not be patented; Novell was talking about working
around patents that crop up, but since the little deal Microsoft
worked out with them, they may just not care and a fork may be
necessary.

That being said--Mono is Freely licensed, copyright-wise.
Trademark-wise it isn't an issue, and Patent-wise...isn't an
issue...yet.

Therefore as it stands right now it's in gNewSense. It is not
installed by Default.

Gobuntu does have Mono installed by default--I haven't totally
verified this, but I believe F-Spot is written in C# with GTK#, and
F-Spot IS installed by default.  (Not that gphoto doesn't work...)

This means that for the next version of gNewSense, based off of
Gobuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron" we will have to make a decision whether we
want to use the .NET stuff.

Honestly, it doesn't matter to me. It can be added or removed with
ease.  sudo aptitude purge and all that.

Karl Goetz will most likely respond to this with "Mono. Is. Free.
Software." like he's done before on the gobuntu mailing lists. (I'll
save you the trouble, kk :))

--BK