Why SprezzOS?

Why run SprezzOS as opposed to another operating system? Why was the SprezzOS Project launched? This page will try to answer those questions.

SprezzOS is an open/free operating system distribution, making use of the Linux kernel (currently, anyway; SprezzOS 1 will also support the FreeBSD kernel) and myriad userspace projects (many of them work by the GNU project), derived from Debian.

SprezzOS vs other Debian-based distributions

SprezzOS attempts to remain interoperable, and indeed largely built from the same source code, as Debian. Why run SprezzOS, then, as opposed to Debian (or one of its better known derivatives, such as Ubuntu)? SprezzOS diverges from Debian in three major ways:

Commitment to advancing computing

When and if it becomes necessary to either most efficiently support modern, powerful machines or older, less powerful ones, SprezzOS will prefer the first option.

• SprezzOS is not trying to make it a shiner, happier planet. SprezzOS is attempting to directly improve the lives of power users.
• SprezzOS does not make a major goal of attracting new users. SprezzOS is attempting to directly improve the lives of its users.
• SprezzOS does not seek consensus. SprezzOS does not believe committees the best way to make decisions. SprezzOS is united behind the HIC's impeccable taste.
  • If the HIC makes bad decisions, the Project will become irrelevant. There will be other distributions. The big world will keep on turnin'.
  • SprezzOS seeks to blaze new, bold, and indeed controversial trails in the Free ecosystem, not to attract the most users.
  • There is serenity in Chaos. SprezzOS seeks the Eye of the Hurricane.

Pragmaticism

While SprezzOS development is and will always remain open source, we understand that plenty of fine content is not. SprezzOS will support closed content when it is judged the best available solution. This means:

• So long as it's legal for us to ship documentation, we will (no GFDL exclusion, etc)
• So long as it's legal for us to ship firmware, we will (no exclusions of distributable content, etc)
• When there is no satisfactory open source solution for a necessary component, we will ship closed source (we are not bound by the DFSG)

We passionately believe in the many societal benefits of Open Source. That said, we do not believe our users and members of the Free Software community best served by the negative reinforcement of significant holes in our distribution. We believe that Freedom of Speech and Free Access is perhaps even more important than Free Software, especially since users benefit from the former while only developers (or those with access to developers, or interest in becoming developers) directly benefit from the latter.

Beauty

SprezzOS considers aesthetics of both technology's presentation and its implementation of paramount importance.

• Bad taste, judged in the eye of the SprezzOS community and ultimately the HIC, is sufficient reason to exclude content from the Project.

Open vs Closed Software

Closed software is that burdened by restrictive licensing, including but not limited to:

• Unavailability of source
• Costs associated with acquisition or use
• Restrictions on modification or redistribution of source