Re: [gNewSense-users] Mono & gNewSense

[Karl Goetz]

On Wed, 2007-12-05 at 14:33 -0500, Brian Kemp wrote:
> Don,
> 
> No need for debate. You find it interesting...we did it to death over
> on the Gobuntu-devel mailing list. :)

Full archive here - you'd have to search out the specific threads :)
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gobuntu-devel/

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

(from what i understand) Mono is making its way further into gnome, so
parts of it wont really be optional in the future.

> 
> 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.

It is covered by patents - and thats more then the 'exit codes' patents.

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

Its a patent time bomb, and we dont know if it'll explode. I havent seen
many people who are happy with the RAND it comes with.

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

I dont know of anything we removed from our (existing) archives because
of patents.

> 
> 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...)

last i checked fspot came as 'fspot.exe'... it felt really weird to run
it without wine. *grin*

> 
> 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.

Lets see what happens :)

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

It can at the moment. the question is what might become dependant on it
(lacking a crystal ball we have to wait to see what happens).

> 
> 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 :))

cheers :)
remember, its _free software_ , but its _patent encumbered_ .
kk

> 
> --BK
> 

-- 
Karl Goetz,
Debian user / Ubuntu contributor / gNewSense contributor
http://www.kgoetz.id.au