On 5/24/06, Andrew Donnellan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On 5/24/06, Raul Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Debian only distributes software.
If software is defined as executable code, then no. If software is
defined as executable code + related data used by it + documentation +
everything else, then yes. I think the latter is the definition Debian
uses.
I meant software as distinct from hardware -- if it's bits, it's software.
Some people think that only machine opcodes are software, and
that data in other formats are not. The argument, here, is that if
it's not an opcode for the currently running machine, it's not a
machine instruction, and if it's not a machine instruction, it's not
a program, and if it's not a program it's not software.
On the other hand, "instruction" could be thought of as "instruction
to display a certain arrangement of pixels", or "instruction to play
some sound", or whatever else. Unless you are focused on a
specific task, "instruction" doesn't exclude much of anything (except,
perhaps, garbage).
--
Raul
