Linux-libre - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org

Not all GNU/Linux distributions ship with a Linux-libre kernel, which is a kernel that has removed all the nonfree components such as binary blobs. The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of distributions that use Linux-libre kernels by default: https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html

More on Linux-libre: https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Linux-libre https://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/selibre/linux-libre/ https://jxself.org/linux-libre/

I recently installed GNU/Linux on several computers (I have a few more to do this on), and I chose a Linux-libre distribution rather than my earlier Debian/Ubuntu based choice.

  • dead [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Linux-libre distribution rather than my earlier Debian/Ubuntu based choice.

    This is misleading. Debian is a fully Free Software distribution. The reason that the FSF does not endorse Debian is because Debian provides a separate non-free repository that the user must enable on their own. The Debian kernel is not the linux-libre kernel but the Debian team removes the proprietary parts themselves. Debian declares themselves to be a 100% Free Software distribution in their Social Contract. You can simply install Debian and then never enable the "nonfree"/"contrib" repositories and your system will remain 100% Free Software. I prefer to use Debian over the FSF approved distributions because it is better maintained, Debian has more maintainers to patch bugs and such.

    Ubuntu is nonfree and not to be used.

      • dead [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Due to licensing restrictions, unclear license information, or failure to comply with the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG), parts of the kernel are removed in order to distribute the source in the main section of the Debian archive.

        https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-kernel-handbook/ch-source.html

          • dead [he/him]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Here is another thing that you might find interesting. Debian has made a commitment to make every software package in their distribution into a "reproducible build". This means that the same source code compiled on 2 different computers of the same architecture will produce the exact same binary.

            With free software, anyone can inspect the source code for malicious flaws. But Debian provide binary packages to its users. The idea of “deterministic” or “reproducible” builds is to empower anyone to verify that no flaws have been introduced during the build process by reproducing byte-for-byte identical binary packages from a given source.

          • PorkrollPosadist [he/him, they/them]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Debian has a package in the non-free repository named (IIRC) 'firmware-linux-nonfree' which allows users to plug the non-free bits back in if they desire. This is probably not possible with linux-libre.

            In my experience, I have needed the non-free firmware to get WiFi working on some machines.

          • ritasuma1 [she/her]
            ·
            4 years ago

            yea, debian is great and foss, but the fsf are very extreme on what counts as foss, so if you do as far as provide official documentation on how to install/maintain non free software they will pull your endorsement. and imo there definitely are legitimate usage cases for nonfree software, but the fsf dares to disagree, if you need nonfoss software, you just shouldnt do the thing you need it for, even if its your livelihood.