Proprietary Blobs and the Pursuit of a Free Kernel 405
jammag writes "Ever since the GNewSense team pointed out that the Linux kernel contains proprietary firmware blobs, the question of whether a given distro is truly free software has gotten messier, notes Linux pundit Bruce Byfield. The FSF changed the definition of a free distribution, and a search for how to respond to this new definition is now well underway. Who wins and what solutions are implemented could have a major effect on the future of free and open source software. Debian has its own solution (by allowing users to choose their download), as do Ubuntu and Fedora (they include the offending firmware by default but make it possible to remove it). Meanwhile, the debate over firmware rages on. What resolves this issue?"
Re:1 Answer: (Score:5, Funny)
Learn from the OpenBSD team
We should tell the users to go fsck themselves?
Re:1 Answer: (Score:3, Funny)
No, you say they're nothing but a bunch of masturbating monkeys
Re:I am typing this from Gnewsense (Score:2, Funny)
At you personally possibly, not at Linux users that stay quiet and know their place.
Re:Two New Software Freedoms (Score:3, Funny)
If not, then you'd lose out on the freedom to use your computer as you see fit.
However by freely choosing to use proprietary software (depending on how restrictive the license is) you lose out on a lot of other freedoms, such as the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and/or improve the software.
It simply seems you value certain freedoms more than others.
Re:I have the Answer (Score:3, Funny)
Re:1 Answer: (Score:5, Funny)