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An Early Look at Freespire

Written By

Published: Aug 2, 2006

Updated: Feb 2, 2021

1 minute read

eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

In two weeks, Linspire Inc. will release Freespire, its community Linux distribution.

This new distribution isnt just another Linux distro.

It will represent the first Linux to include most of the legally licensed and available, third-party proprietary codices, drivers and software.

To say this is a bit controversial in Linux and free software circles is like saying the dog days of August are somewhat hot.

Nevertheless, Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony bit the bullet in April, and the first release candidate of Freespire is now available.

/zimages/4/142611.jpg

The operating system is available for free from its main Web site as a BitTorrent download.

What comes with Freespire?

/zimages/4/28571.gifRead the full story on DesktopLinux: An early look at Freespire

/zimages/4/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

I'm editor-at-large for Ziff Davis Enterprise. That's a fancy title that means I write about whatever topic strikes my fancy or needs written about across the Ziff Davis Enterprise family of publications. You'll find most of my stories in Linux-Watch, DesktopLinux and eWEEK. Prior to becoming a technology journalist, I worked at NASA and the Department of Defense on numerous major technological projects.

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Its a simple idea. Take the Linspire Debian-based Linux distribution and bundle it with every proprietary driver and program thats available for Linux. Ta-da, an instant Linux thats compatible with far more hardware and applications. The problem, of course, is that by combining proprietary software with Linux, youre also legitimatizing the use of proprietary programs […]

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eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

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An Early Look at Freespire

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

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