[Leaplist] hamcation

[Steve Litt]

On Thursday 07 January 2010 07:16:02 Hank Lambert wrote:

>  Didn't we use Linux Mint last year in place of Ubuntu?
> 
>  --Hank

As far as I'm concerned, Mint is not free software, because they have a 
political litmus test for use of their product. Specifically, their last 
official word, posted on the **Mint** website, was the following by Clem 
Lefebvre:

================================================
"This is not the place to talk about this but I am deeply touched by what is 
happening over there. I feel disgust and guilt with us passively witnessing it 
and our money and weapons supporting it. I don’t want to use my name or this 
project to push my own ideas about this but I spend a lot of time working and 
giving away, sharing and receiving to and from a lot of people.

I’m only going to ask for one thing here. If you do not agree I kindly ask you 
not to use Linux Mint and not to donate money to it."
================================================

Folks, no other piece of free software requires a political litmus test. It's 
a dangerous precedent. Who knows, some day maybe we'll have a "Whites only" 
distro :-)

Behind the scenes, I wrote Clem Lefebvre asking that a prominent retraction be 
printed on the Mint website, not on his personal website. After all, the 
original litmus test had been on the Mint website. In response to my request, 
the Mint developers voted not to print a retraction on the Mint website.

I had been planning to switch my business from Mandriva to Mint. After Mint's 
refusal to retract their litmus test, I made a new plan, added several 
software sources including Medibuntu to Ubuntu, and installed Ubuntu. My 
Ubuntu is just as "it just works" as Mint. I wrote about my setup here:

http://www.troubleshooters.cxm/lpm/200908/200908.htm

Before I'd learned about the litmus test I'd installed Mint on each of my 
three kids' computers. These days when I have to maintain/administer their 
computers, I find it a pain in the butt. From my perspective, Ubuntu is much 
easier to use, maintain and administer than is Mint. When the kids get 
updated, it will be to Ubuntu.

SteveT

Steve Litt
Recession Relief Package
http://www.recession-relief.US
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stevelitt


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