[plex86] Re: Licensing issues (and Debian policy as a side note)

[Chip Salzenberg]

According to Michael Wood:
> So what's the difference between Plex86 and the Linux kernel
> when you look at it this way?  Is it because there is only one
> BIOS that currently works with Plex86 and that BIOS is non-free?

Is the Elpin BIOS specialized for use with Plex86, if only in such a
minor way as knowing what kinds of pseudo-hardware it's going to find?
More to the point, does Plex86 effectively require that the BIOS it
uses be specialized in this way?  If so, then Plex86 is actually
depending on the specific features of non-free software, and it does
belong in contrib.

However, if Plex86 does not require any specialization in the BIOS it
uses, then Plex86 belongs in Debian's "main".  IMO.

> Also, isn't it possible to get Plex86 to jump directly to a Linux
> kernel image or something instead of loading the BIOS and getting
> the BIOS to boot the OS?  [...]  Wouldn't that be enough to put it
> into main instead of contrib/non-free?

I think so.

PS: This is terra incognita, and I don't speak for Debian, blah blah.
-- 
Chip Salzenberg              - a.k.a. -             <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 "We have no fuel on board, plus or minus 8 kilograms."  -- NEAR tech