Community FAQ
From Freespire
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What is Freespire?Freespire is the community-influenced version of the Linspire Linux distribution. What does it cost to download Freespire?Freespire will always be free to download and share with others at no cost. (But, that's not why it's called "Freespire." More on that later.) What does Freespire offer to the Linux world?Freespire combines the best that open source and free software have to offer (community-influenced, freely distributed, access to source code, etc.), but also provides users the choice of including proprietary codecs, drivers and applications as they see fit. What is the main, overriding philosophy of the Freespire project?Freedom of choice. Freespire believes the user should be free to choose what software they want to run on their computer. The user should be able to easily choose from both open source software, as well as legally obtained 3rd-party proprietary offerings. For example, Freespire lets each individual user decide if they want to use OpenOffice (free, open source), StarOffice (purchased, commercial, proprietary), or any number of other office suite solutions. The choice is yours. What is Freespire's vision for Linux?Freespire has a vision for Linux in six main areas:
Visit the Freespire Vision page to learn more about the objectives for this project. So, is Freespire open source or proprietary?Again, the choice is yours. There are two versions of the initial stable version of Freespire available. The main Freespire version is approximately 99% open source, as it does include certain proprietary drivers, codecs and software in cases where there are no viable open source solutions yet available. For example, either out of the box, or through products in the CNR Warehouse, Freespire offers legally licensed support for: MP3, DVD, Windows Media, QuickTime, Java, Flash, Real, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, Adobe Acrobat Reader, proprietary WiFi drivers, and so on. However, if you prefer, you can choose the version of Freespire which is composed of only open source code and contains no proprietary software whatsoever. But won't Freespire hurt the momentum of open source by offering the option of proprietary codecs, drivers and applications?No, quite the opposite. To influence the future of computing to become more open, Linux must first expand its circle of influence by gaining a much larger user base. A big portion of the world is turned off by Linux, because it doesn't legally support things like MP3, DVD, Java, Flash, Windows Media, QuickTime, etc., out of the box. Asking millions of people to throw away their iPods (or other favorite MP3 player) or to not legally watch DVDs on their computer, is just too much to ask for most users. The Freespire project believes in providing a free marketplace where the user can decide what software to install and use.
What type of user is Freespire best suited for?As a free, community-influenced distribution, Freespire should appeal to both users and developers who want to see an easier-to-use desktop Linux that, out-of-the-box, supports more hardware, software and media formats. However, for those who prefer to use only open source solutions and don't need legal support for MP3s, DVDs, Windows Media, QuickTime, Java, Flash, and so on, the version of Freespire that is 100% open source provides an excellent alternative as well. What does the name "Freespire" mean?Most might think the name simply means a "free" copy of Linspire, but this is not necessarily the case. The name Freespire means much more:
What proprietary software is included in Freespire, and under what licenses?You can find a list of all the different proprietary codecs, drivers and software used in Freespire at the Trademarks and Licensing page .Of course, if you install the 100% open source version of Freespire, no proprietary products are used. When installing software from the CNR Warehouse, you can find licensing information for each program on the software's product page. Proprietary software will be clearly designated from open source software in the CNR Warehouse. How is Freespire different from Linspire?Linspire is known for its ease of use and consumer focus. Freespire, by comparison, is designed with the Linux community and developer in mind. Here are some example differences between Linspire and Freespire:
Will Linspire drop their Linspire brand and/or OS?No. Freespire is a community-based project that will ultimately help to improve the commercial version of the Linspire OS. Linspire will continue to polish and customize the commercial version of Linspire OS. How is Freespire different from most other community-influenced open source Linux distributions?
Does Freespire run as root?No. Linspire has always allowed you to easily set up passwords for both Admin (root) and User accounts. However, unlike Linspire where setting up a user account is optional, Freespire requires this step and is designed to be run primarily as a User, and rarely (if ever) as root. Freespire and Linspire both have firewalls in place by default. Is Freespire only for desktop computing, or can it be used for servers as well?Initially, Freespire will be optimized for desktop and laptop computers. However, being a community project, it's certainly conceivable that, over time, Freespire could evolve into a server distribution as well. RPM or DEB?Debian rules! 'nuff said. How is CNR different from apt-get?CNR is a technology developed by Linspire which will be open sourced and contributed to the Freespire project. CNR is different from Debian's normal ?apt-get? software management system in many ways:
Is the CNR Service free?Yes, the basic CNR Service is available at no cost. The CNR Gold Service is also available at $49.95 /yr. To encourage development work on Freespire and CNR, the service was made available freely to many who contribute in some fashion to the Freespire project (providing code, helping with documentation, translation work, graphics, and so on). Can I still use apt-get?Absolutely. For those who prefer the apt-get command line method of installing programs, the Freespire Warehouse of software may be freely accessed using apt-get to install free, open source software. (apt-get can not install 3rd-party, commercial applications which are sold, such as StarOffice, Win4Lin, etc., but these may be purchased and installed via CNR.) How is Freespire funded?Linspire is the main sponsor of the Freespire project, but we do welcome user contributions and partner sponsorships. See the Freespire donors page for more details. Who are some of the other main sponsors for Freespire?These will be announced in the coming weeks and listed on the freespire.org website. Why did Linspire start the Freespire project?Linspire has been a long-time supporter of many open source projects, such as: Debian, Mozilla/Firefox, Nvu, Lsongs, Lphoto, libipod, ReiserFS, GAIM, KDE, KDE-look, Kopete, K3B, and so on. (Visit www.linspire.com/opensource for a complete listing.) Linspire wanted to extend that work to the entire operating system by creating a community-influenced project to help us with our work. Work that goes into Debian, Ubuntu, Freespire, and so on, all finds its way into our commercial Linspire product line. Because Freespire includes the CNR technology, it will most closely mirror the Linspire model of software distribution and management, so we're happy to support such a project. How long has Freespire been in the works?The Freespire project has been in the works for almost two years, and we're excited to see it finally come to life. Why did it take Linspire so long to come out with a community project like Freespire?From the time Linspire was founded, about 5 years ago, they have been very busy laying the groundwork with the OEM and retail channels with their commercial, consumer-focused Linspire product. Linspire wanted to make sure that they had a sound and viable business model before exposing the community to another open source project. About two years ago, Linspire was satisfied with the success of their model, and started work on the Freespire project, feeling comfortable that they will be around for a good long time. Linspire is very excited to see the Freespire project finally being shared with the Linux community. Wasn't there a Freespire project released towards the end of 2005? Is this the same project?Back in late 2005, Andrew Betts, a member of Linspire's Insiders Program, did an experimental project of creating a distro based on all the open source Linspire code, but leaving out the proprietary pieces (MP3, Flash, Java, etc.). Ironically, he gave his project the nickname of "Freespire," not knowing that Linspire had already started work on a same-named project. Andrew never intended for his project to become available for public consumption at that time, but it leaked out over the Internet to Distrowatch.com, where it was billed as something more than it was planned for. It created quite a stir at that time, and due to confusion over the term "Freespire," Andrew changed the name of his project to SquiggleOS. Development has since stopped on the SquiggleOS project, and Linspire was never directly involved in that project. Before the launch of this Freespire initiative, Andrew was notified of Linspire's plans and he worked with them, sharing his ideas for this project. Today, Andrew serves on the Freespire Leadership Board, and is thrilled to see many of the same ideas that he had for his "Freespire" coming to life in this community project. What is Freespire based on?Freespire believes in using ?the best of breed? work from all worlds (Debian, Linspire, Ubuntu, other open source projects, etc.), but is based on ubuntu which is mostly a direct derivative Debian (Sid). Is Freespire a fork in Debian?No. Like Linspire, Freespire is additive to Debian's work. Even though Freespire will often be ahead of Debian with package releases, all applicable work on Linspire and Freespire are contributed upstream in an effort to keep us as closely in sync with Debian as possible. As Debian gets better, Freespire gets better, and as Freespire gets better, Debian gets better. Is Freespire KDE or GNOME based?Initially, Freespire will be built around the KDE environment, but again, being a community project, it's certainly conceivable that GNOME variations will emerge over time. However, it's important to know that Freespire believes in using "best of breed" applications in the default distribution, so you will find both GTK and KDE based programs in Freespire, and you can swap applications in and out using CNR or apt-get. Which hardware platforms and architectures does Freespire support?Initially, Freespire will be available for the PC x86 platform. However, because Freespire is a community project, we encourage others to get involved in making Freespire available for other platforms and architectures as well, such as AMD64, Intel Dual Core and Mac. Is Freespire available for download?Yes, the first stable version was available August, 2006. How can I get involved now?There are a multitude of ways you can get involved and help make Freespire the best that it can be. For example, you will be able to help with translation work, documentation, packaging, coding, graphics, and so on. You can also help by making a contribution to Freespire or becoming a corporate sponsor. Visit the Community area to learn more. How is the Freespire community organized?Every organization or community needs strong and active leadership to function effectively. Freespire's leadership is organized into three boards: Freespire's Leadership Board is composed of thinkers, business people, evangelists, and key members of the Linux community. This group helps direct the vision and goals of the Freespire project and oversees the other two boards. Think of this board as Freespire's conscious and ethical compass, whose mandate is making sure Freespire remains true to its vision and objectives . The Community and Technology Boards provide more specific leadership and direction in their respective areas. For more information on these boards, as well as how participation on these boards is established, visit the Community Leadership area. Will Freespire be LSB compliant?Yes. The Free Standards Group is already involved on the project and looks forward to working with the Freespire community to insure LSB compliance. (For more information on LSB, visit www.linuxbase.org.) Will Freespire be part of the DCC?Yes, via Linspire's membership in the DCC Alliance. (For more information on the DCCA, visit www.dccalliance.org.) Does Freespire have a preferred development platform?Yes. Freespire's default development tools include python, C++, KDE and GTK libraries which are all fully added to your system when installing Freespire. Naturally, developers can choose to program under other platforms and using different tools, but this is the default development environment for Freespire. Developing with this platform assures smooth integration with the majority of Freespire's other code. However, using CNR ?Aisles,? it's easy to add additional development tools, as desired (Java, Gambas, etc.). How do I get support when running Freespire?Freespire is community supported, making extensive use of the Freespire Knowledgebase, Wiki, community forum, and so on, all found in the Support area website. Can I purchase additional support?Yes, telephone and email support are available to certain levels of contributing sponsors. Visit the Support area for more information. Does Freespire have an "Insider's" program like Linspire?No. Because Freespire is a community project, everyone can help with testing, have access to all releases, and so on. If I make a donation, what is the money used for?There are three ways donated funds to the Freespire project are used:
Is my donation tax deductible?No. Not at the present time. It is simply too costly and paperwork intensive to set up a non-profit organization at this time. This could change in the future, but for the time being, donated funds are earmarked for Freespire work (as mentioned in the last question), but are not tax deductible. Can I modify the open source parts of Freespire, and then redistribute it with the proprietary pieces included?Yes, but you may need to get licenses from some of the different license holders. Visit the Licensing area for a list of the different proprietary pieces and what kind of licensing you'll need to secure for redistribution. Another option is to use the 100% open source version of Freespire for your work, as it does not contain any proprietary code, making redistribution easy, without the need to secure or pay for any licensing from a 3rd party. Can I create other projects based on Freespire and use the "Freespire" trademark or a derivative thereof?Freespire is a trademark of Linspire, Inc. and permission to use the mark is required in most cases. This is true for any trademark , including those from other open source projects, such as Debian, Firefox, etc. This would also hold true for any similar marks or derivatives of the Freespire mark, such as Gspire, Eduspire, etc. Please contact trademarks@linspire.com for more information. Does Linspire have plans to offer the CNR Service for other Linux distributions, besides Linspire and Freespire?Yes. This is a key reason Linspire wanted to open source the CNR client software. Currently the CNR Service only works with Linspire and Freespire, but soon, the communities from other distros will be working with us to modify CNR software to work with other popular distributions as well. In the meantime, opening up the CNR client with Freespire is a good way to start that process, and involve the help of others in the community to bring this service to a broader audience of Linux users. Is the freespire.com website affiliated with Linspire of Freespire?No. The owner of that site is not anyone affiliated with this project or Linspire. Can I modify the CNR client software and use the "CNR" trademark or a derivative thereof for that new application?In the future, CNR will be moved to an open sourced license, and others will then be allowed to modify and redistribute the CNR client software under the terms of its open source license, which specific licensing terms will be made available at that time. The term "CNR" is a trademark of Linspire, Inc. and permission to use the mark is required in most cases. This is true for any trademark, including those from other open source projects, such as Debian, Firefox, etc. This would also hold true for any similar marks or derivatives of the CNR mark. Please contact trademarks@linspire.com for more information. |
