Firefox (for Edgy) should not be in main

[Bruce Cowan]

I was reading the Ubuntu components page - http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/components , and I thought that having the official artwork etc. no longer qualifies the Ubuntu package of free software, which is a requirement of packages in main. Also the requirement "can freely be redistributed" is probably not the case for this packaging of Firefox. Firefox doesn't qualify as an exception, as it is not "binary firmware and selected fonts that cannot be modified without permission from their authors." In fact, in order to modify Firefox and still call it Firefox, you need permission from Mozilla.

I propose that this package should be moved to restricted, and the dfsg bit in the version number should be dropped, as this package doesn't comply with the DFSG.

Disussion @ http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1656991

[Benjamin Fogel (benjaminfogel)]

I'm sorry to have to say this, but I agree. Given that Ubuntu wants to only have free software in it's distrobution, keeping Firefox in it's current form would be sheer hypocrisy.

[Andrew Mitchell (ajmitch)]

I'm sorry, but even the DFSG allows "The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original software."

[Toby Smithe (tsmithe)]

Right, but the package in its current state is not freely distributable, which is a requirement for main. I have to agree that it should be in restricted.