279304 - New Linux Distro would like to build official firefox and thunderbird

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Marketing :: Trademark Permissions, task)

Description

[Joshua Rubin]

To whom it may concern,
I am currently making a new Linux distribution based on Slackware, and
continuing the Slackware traditions of simplicity, security and stability, but
with the arch pacman package manager.  Also, like Slackware, Rubix will be
developed with one man as a point person for quality assurance.  As a major
improvement over Slackware current, I would like to ship version 1.0 of Rubix
with the latest versions of Firefox and Thunderbird compiled with the
enable-official-branding option. I am making no changes to the source code.  I
will be happy to give you my build scripts and package examples so you can
verify this.  I will also be bundling enigmail with Thunderbird since that
complies with the security goal of Rubix.
Thank you for your time,
Joshua Rubin

Comment 1

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

Hi Joshua,

Would it be possible for you to provide enigmail as a separate package? That's
the only concern we have. 

I've just finished a conversation with Patrick Volkerding about including
unmodified mozilla.org binaries of Firefox and Thunderbird into the next
Slackware. Could you reship his packages?

Gerv

Comment 2

[Joshua Rubin]

Yes, I can provide enigmail separatly.

I am not at all affiliated with Slackware and would prefer to build everything
from source.

You can see my current build scripts here at these links:
ftp://ftp.rubix-os.org/pub/rubix/rubix-current/source/xap/firefox/PKGBUILD
ftp://ftp.rubix-os.org/pub/rubix/rubix-current/source/xap/thunderbird/PKGBUILD

They are currently build-official, but have not been shipped yet, should you
decide that you would prefer me not to build official, I will change the build
scripts accordingly before shipping.

Comment 3

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

I have no problems with you using the name and distributing your builds (they
look pretty similar to ours), but please remove the official branding, which is
reserved for mozilla.org releases and partner releases only. 

I'm sure your OS will be great, but we need a track record to be certain before
allowing use of the logos.

Thanks :-)

Gerv

Comment 4

[Joshua Rubin]

To whom it may concern,

I would like to respectfully resubmit my application for permission to use mozilla.org trademarks.

*Rubix Linux is preparing for its 1.0 release in about 1 to 1.5 months.
*Rubix Linux has now been in active development for over a year.
*Rubix Linux has already been successfully deployed in many homes and businesses.
*Rubix Linux has complied with earlier requests not to include mozilla.org trademarks.
*Rubix Linux has been among the first distributions to provide updates for firefox and thunderbird.
*Rubix Linux is committed to releasing packages only of the highest quality.

Thunderbird still ships with enigmail, and I reiterate that this can be modified if it is the only obstacle in getting trademark permission.

Rubix Linux is not a distribution developed on a whim. It is a serious undertaking that was started in order to fill a gap in Slackware development. Patrick Volkerding was very sick and Slackware's development was in jeopardy. I took the one man development model and improved on what I perceived as areas where Slackware needed modernization. Improved package management, improved security and a somewhat larger repository were the initial goals. Today, Slackware is back in active development, but Rubix remains true to its original goals. Now Rubix has grown into its own nitch. Plans are currently taking shape for selling a preconfigured Rubix internet security appliance as a drop in system for small businesses who have no prior linux experience (and do not need any to use it). Rubix Consulting -- Computer Security Services, LLC. will be providing professional support for Rubix.

I know that this is much more information than needed, but the point is to prove that Rubix Linux is here to stay. Rubix Linux has a year long paper trail, and proven success.

Please look around http://www.rubixlinux.org, look at the build scripts in the source directories, and please reconsider Rubix Linux for permission to produce official builds.

Thank you,
Joshua Rubin

Comment 5

[Joshua Rubin]

Since reopening this bug, I have upgraded Rubix's firefox to 1.5

This release was built with official branding, not as a spite against mozilla.org, but rather in an attempt to maintain the reputations of both mozill and rubix linux. I felt that releasing firefox without official branding would not be prudent because it is not even branded as firefox at all. Distributing a browser as a package named firefox, but having the browser report itself as "deer park" was inappropriate in my opinion.

Again, I fully respect mozilla.org's rights to their trademarks. Should mozilla.org feel that Rubix is still not ready to distribute builds that use official branding, I will begin working on branding firefox as something like "RubixFox -- based on Mozilla Firefox." However, in the mean time, I felt it was in the best interest of all parties involved that firefox be distributed with official branding.

I also realize that I may not be in the proper place to make this presumption and will rebuild and redistribute without official branding as quickly as possible upon the recommendation of mozilla.org.

You can see the build script at the following site:
http://svn.rubixlinux.org/viewcvs/viewcvs.cgi/trunk/xap/firefox/PKGBUILD?rev=169&view=markup

Thank you again,
Joshua Rubin

Comment 6

[Mike Shaver (:shaver emeritus)]

Taking OS-distribution trademark bugs.

Comment 7

[Joshua Rubin]

I have stopped developing RubixLinux. I no longer develop or distribute Mozilla products. Closing the bug as WONTFIX.

Joshua