When I run vrms, I can't find any non free stuff. But is vrms reliable?
'vrms' is not properly named. It does not reflect rms' views on software
freedoms but Debian's. For instance, it considers that the GNU FDL is
non-free! 'vrms' only checks whether the installed packages come from the
official non-free repository. It does not check what you install by hand,
your browser's extensions, etc. See
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnewsense-users/2007-02/msg00027.html for
more information.
Is it possible or reasonable to instal Linux Libre on Debian from jxself's
repository?
I guess it is possible. But, unless you want another (probably more recent)
version of the kernel, there is no need to do so: Debian's kernel now is
entirely free software.
I know that Trisquel started as a university project and that it's run by one
brave guy (hello Rodriguez) and I understand the need for a totally free
distro, yet aren't there some drawbacks or difficulties to make a distro from
Ubuntu?
I do not think so. Trisquel being based on Ubuntu does not mean Ubuntu's
default system has any influence on Trisquel. Trisquel's default system is
built from an arbitrary list of packages and Ubuntu's default system is (if
anything) only an inspiration in the choice of these packages. In other
words, Trisquel being based on Ubuntu only means most of the packages in
Trisquel's repository come from Ubuntu. Because Ubuntu's repositories host
proprietary software, not all package are copied. But the selection is no
hard work: in theory, everything in "main" and "universe" should be free and
the rest is non-free. In practice there are exceptions.
What is harder is to patch some software/packages so that they comply with
FSF's free software guideline and can be copied in Trisquel's repository. For
instance to avoid recommending proprietary software. Rúben even started (and
it is going well) a 100%-free extension page to substitute that of Mozilla.
But all that hard work would remain relevant if Trisquel would be based on
Debian. Notice that it used to be based on Debian.
In other words, would Trisquel and Debian devs and users benefit from working
together to make a totally free Debian?
Collaboration for free software is always good. I guess it already happens.
Or a fork if the Debian team can't, for some reason or other, shift the
nonfree-contrib packages far away from its servers and mirrors?
gNewSense is a Debian-based distribution that is 100% free software:
http://gnewsense.org
However gNewSense is not as actively developed as Trisquel. Its last release
is based on Debian oldstable.
Debian could ditch "contrib" and "non-free". It is a political choice to
make. However, I doubt it will be made anytime soon.
