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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Switch to a Fully free Operating System (piefed.social)

submitted 1 week ago by pie@piefed.social to c/linux@lemmy.ml

93 comments fedilink hide all child comments

As per fsf only those linux distributions are 100% free:

Dragora
Dyne
Guix
Hyperbola
Parabola
PureOS
Trisquel
Ututo
libreCMC
ProteanOS

Do you agree or no?

I see a lot of people that want to switch from windows to a linux distro or a open os. But from what i see they tend to migrate to another black boxed/closed os.

What is a trully free os that doesnt included any closed code/binary blobs/closed drivers etc.

Just 100% free open code, no traps.

What are the options and what should one go with if they want fully free os that rejects any closed code?

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[–] LeFantome@programming.dev 1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Debain and Fedora are 100% free software operating systems.

Point at a single package in either one that is proprietary software.

Driver firmware does not count. Why? Because that is hardware. The hardware is proprietary regardless and there is proprietary firmware in my hardware regardless of what my OS does.

None of the operating systems listed run on “free” hardware, so arguing about how free the non-free hardware is is meaningless.

Calling Debian and Fedora “closed source” or “black box” because they distribute firmware is madness. Hardware that cannot be updated at all is less “black box”? If that is your view, your opinions hold no weight with me at all.

[–] pie@piefed.social -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

driver firmware does not count?
ofc it does.
it is just your opinion and it holds also no weight with me too

[–] LeFantome@programming.dev 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Why does the proprietary firmware in your hardware only suck if it can be upgraded?

You are quite happy running hardware that uses proprietary firmware as long as it does not show it to you. But if it shows it to you then it has to be free software?

I am not saying free software would not be better. Clearly it would be. But saying that not showing the firmware to you is better than showing it to you makes no sense. Please try to make a good argument for why it is ok as long as you don't see it?

Given that you are willing to run proprietary firmware, why are you not willing to run proprietary firmware that can be upgraded? Got an argument for that makes your "ofc it does" even a little bit valid?

Or are you running on 100% "free" hardware? Because that is for sure not anything based on AMD or Intel and for sure not using any GPU or network card that I have ever heard of.

RISC-V is fighting the good fight. But even there the actual hardware being used today is proprietary, including of course the firmware (accessible or not). And I doubt you are running RISC-V anyway.