| Freespire: Great Idea? Awful Idea? |
May 03, 2025
When you mix open-source Linux with proprietary add-ons, such as drivers, plug-ins, and other software, might you be in danger of "poisoning" the open-source well, so to speak? DesktopLinux.com columnist Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols takes a look at Linspire's Freespire open-source/proprietary smorgasbord model, and wonders whether it's a good idea.
"The problem, of course, is that by incorporating proprietary software with Linux, you're also legitimatizing the use of proprietary programs with open source," Vaughan-Nichols writes. "This could, according to some open-source developers, lead to a situation where the proprietary developers would call the shots. Eventually, this could cause Linux to recede into being just another minor, fragmented operating system.
On the other hand, "I also know that new users will be a lot more inclined to use a Linux desktop if they can just sit down and use their existing WiFi cards without worrying about compatibility, or watch WMV (Windows Media Video) files without any fuss or muss," he adds.
Join Vaughan-Nichols as he wrestles with this interesting dilemma:
Freespire: Great Idea? Awful Idea?
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