Richard Stallman Comments On Valve For Linux
Stallman's brief post can be found at GNU.org in a new post entitled "Nonfree DRM'd Games on GNU/Linux: Good or Bad?" Some of his key points include:
- I suppose that availability of popular nonfree programs on GNU/Linux can boost adoption of the system. However, our goal goes beyond making this system a “success”; its purpose is to bring freedom to the users. Thus, the question is how this development affects users' freedom.
- In the eyes of RMS, non-free games are unethical because they deny freedom to their users.
- On the plus side, if you're going to play these non-free games anyways, it's good you're using Linux. Microsoft Windows only causes more harm.
- Thus, in direct practical terms, this development can do both harm and good. It might encourage GNU/Linux users to install these games, and it might encourage users of the games to replace Windows with GNU/Linux. My guess is that the direct good effect will be bigger than the direct harm. But there is also an indirect effect: what does the use of these games teach people in our community?
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