[Freedombox-discuss] [OFFTOPIC] fast-moving packages (was: Request for Comments: Agenda Items for 2020 Summit)

[Stefan Monnier]

> I put differently: I recommend those wanting to develop FreedomBox-like
> things by more relaxed definitions of "Free" than those used in Debian
> to join forces with Yunohost.  And for FreedomBox to consider
> recognizing that different definitions of "Free" exist (without relaxing
> how FreedomBox itself defines it).

IMO the problem is not whether things like Jitsi are in Freedombox or
not, but whether it's in Debian or not.

IOW, Debian would benefit from some kind of "auxiliary" archive that
contains packages that are Free Software but too difficult fit into the
Debian constraints (typically because the effort needed to package them
properly is too high and takes more time then available before the code
has changed to the point where the work needs to be re-done).

Those packages would be "suboptimal" but would still guarantee that the
code is Free Software and would still offer the usual convenience of
Debian packages where you don't need to learn the idiosyncrasies of
each and every package in order to know how to update it.


        Stefan