Topic: Point of ScummVM
Hello together,
perhaps some already noted: Hyperbola has officially removed ScummVM and does not plan to add it again.
With this forum-posting I want to give more insight why we are doing that and why it is also personal very frustrating to see such a project going in the complete different direction.
ScummVM is defining itself as "virtual machine". By its own definition and work the engines are most implemented as interpreters for the original byte-code of the games. But here comes the issue: The data of the games stays nevertheless non-free. Coming now to the definition Hyperbola has here an issue in opposite of the definition of the FSF. The FSF see "non-functional data" alike:
This kind of data can be part of a free system distribution, even though its license does not qualify as free, because it is non-functional.
Hyperbola is not following this definition: Free, libre culture and software must not contain non-free data otherwise it is to be defined questionable and resulting non-free in a whole. Exactly this can be read also in our wiki-article. Yes, this is a clear and unlogic contradiction. Nevertheless under this contradiction ScummVM is working. But for us it is not: There are some free and libre games possible. Nevertheless the majority is and stays non-free. Nobody is able to rebuild Beneath a steel Sky or Flight of the Amazon Queen. Is their data in any git-repository and able to build or modified? Do we have a right to modify the data or rebuild that complete including sharing it? No, not really. It would be the same with others like OpenMW (Morrowind) or OpenRA (Command & Conquer, Dune 2000 etc.).
In the result: Hyperbola has removed ScummVM. Nevertheless any user can decide to build that software local as usual. But now coming to the second point: The frustration towards the direction ScummVM is heading. It is not only the data, also the usage of non-free services ScummVM is doing. Discord as one example. And ScummVM is not the only project: The question is why we had that much discussions in the late 90s and early years from the 2000 and beyond, just to see now more and more projects giving nothing about free, libre culture and only do their "open-surce"-oriented direction. That's really the wrong direction.
We have listed ScummVM now as being incompatible with Hyperbola: https://wiki.hyperbola.info/doku.php?id … e_packages
Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!
