"Alfred M. Szmidt" ams@gnu.org wrote:
[...] IIRC RMS ran Debian GNU/Linux (I don't know if he still does) as this was the most Free distribution at the time.
RMS never recommended Debian to people.
Firstly, that's contradicting a point that wasn't made: Gareth Bowker (I think - still ams fails to attribute quotes) doesn't say that he did.
Secondly, there are many interviews and reports which say RMS used to recommend Debian (try a web search... for one example result, http://beust.com/stallman.html). However, I know reporters sometimes make mistakes and it's not impossible that there could be so many.
[...] it is another thing that a organisation or even a person, supposedly promoting free software, starts distributing non-free software to its members/friends
[...]
It was some time ago that FSF started distributing non-free-software manuals to people. I also expect that FSF has often distribued machines to developers that currently require non-free software, in the hope that it helps to develop free software for them. I don't see a fundamental problem in that, but maybe including such development platforms as raffle prizes is a bit silly, and maybe the swpat-fans Nokia have made a platform which will never be free.
Conversely, maybe it's time for those who want to work on replacing non-free software to join the debian project, who don't *distribute* non-free software but merely host it and are actively working to free or replace it.
Regards,