pdf toolchain notes & suggestions

[Dave Pawson]

On Thu, 2004-09-30 at 18:47, Paul W. Frields wrote:

> > > So ... should we abandon all this stuff and use Framemaker + SGML?
> > More extremism Karsten?
> 
> Your use of the word "extremism" is ungracious. I would recommend you
> take a look again at the Fedora Project overall goals:
I use extreme in its simplest form Paul. Out at one end. I never 
mentioned Frame or SGML in this thread.


> 
> "The goal of The Fedora Project is to work with the Linux community to
> build a complete, general purpose operating system exclusively from free
> software."
> 
> The Docs Project, which is part of the overall Fedora Project, builds
> documentation which is to eventually be included in the operating
> system, as a fedora-docs RPM I would imagine. Any .src.rpm in the Fedora
> tree should be buildable on Fedora itself, with free software. Karsten's
> point -- which is the same as my earlier point in essenc, I think,
> although Karsten may correct me if I'm wrong -- is that when we add
> non-free tools to the toolchain we break the project. Period.

OK, that's enough for me.

> 
> I don't know much about some of the tools whose names have been bandied
> about, but that's irrelevant. What is relevant is their status as free
> software (or otherwise). If it's not free we shouldn't be using it. To
> do otherwise runs directly counter to the ambitions of the Project.
Set by RH? A commercial supplier.

>  It's
> not about being a zealot; it's about simply accepting the goals of the
> &FP; and the &FDP;. They are what they are, and our project either
> follows them or gets jettisoned.
There are other options.




> 
> Your skills, my skills, and/or Karsten's skills are not particularly
> relevant to the discussion either. You're missing the forest for the
> trees here. What Karsten is saying, I think, is that any reliance on
> non-free software puts us at the mercy of that tool.
I'd use the word extreme again.
  I really don't believe the statement above.


> I'm in agreement with Karsten, for the
> reasons stated in my topmost comments.

OK.


> > 
> > OK lets blame someone else.
> >   My usual question now follows. Who?
> > 
> > Can you point to a document/person/project manager who has this
> > documented somewhere?
> 
> There's no reason to "blame" anyone. The goals of the Fedora Project are
> axiomatic -- or more correctly, maxims, meaning they are principles that
> we accept when we participate. Anyone who doesn't agree with them is
> free to move ahead with their own project. These goals, and their
> antecedents (see above), are not really something subject to discussion
> and mitigation.

So much for community development?

Bye.