Debian Chooses A Reasonable, Common Sense Solution To Dealing With Non-Free Firmware

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Debian Choose A Reasonable, Common Sense Solution To Dealing With Non-Free Firmware

Debian developers have been figuring out an updated stance to take on non-free firmware considering the increasing number of devices now having open-source Linux drivers but requiring closed-source firmware for any level of functionality. The voting on the non-free firmware matter has now concluded and the votes tallied.....

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Debian-Non-Free-Firmware-Result

[shmerl]

> Our users should receive security updates and important fixes to firmware binaries just like any other installed software.


Hopefully it means firmware packages will be updated in timely fashion and not once or twice a year:

https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/firmware-nonfree

[mirmirmir]

Love the headline. As kids these days would say "based"

[archkde]

This is a really good solution. In particular having the separated non-free-firmware section should make everyone happy.

[user1]

About time...
Now it would be even better if they improve their confusing iso choice mess.

[Danny3]

Can't they just include everything needed on the install media and then let the user decide without loading anything automatically?
I mean how hard could it be to to make all the options in the installer?
I bet some people prefer a clean open-source only install, while others care more about doing whatever is needed or whatever works.

[ssokolow]

Can't they just include everything needed on the install media and then let the user decide without loading anything automatically?
I mean how hard could it be to to make all the options in the installer?
I bet some people prefer a clean open-source only install, while others care more about doing whatever is needed or whatever works.

The firmware may be necessary to run the installer. It sounds like they're going for the "non-free firmware can be disabled by hitting an F key to get to the bootloader prompt and adding a parameter" option.

[Ironmask]

Thank god we're starting to kick politics out of software, no more "Cult of the Free Software". Now we can start getting rid of those "codes of conducts".

[ssokolow]

Thank god we're starting to kick politics out of software, no more "Cult of the Free Software". Now we can start getting rid of those "codes of conducts".

Yeah. It's kind of silly to use such a formal name for things like "Quiet in the Library", "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service", and "We Reserve the Right To Refuse Service" signs.

[birdie]

Common sense has prevailed? Wow, congrats.