Re: Debian Stretch new user report (vs Linux Mint)

[Simon McVittie <smcv@debian.org>]

On Fri, 01 Dec 2017 at 14:34:40 +0800, Paul Wise wrote:
> On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 1:36 AM, Arturo Borrero Gonzalez wrote:
> > * no support for the wifi interface of the dekstop machine (this was
> > expected, fixed by installing non-free package by hand, since no
> > network)
> 
> It would have been best for him to download the ISO with non-free
> firmware embedded, do you know how he made the decision to download
> the ISO without non-free firmware?

I doubt there was any such decision, except by not knowing there was a
decision that could be made. The official, fully Free ISO (which is OK
for VMs and some embedded systems, but normally a trap for the PCs we
expect new users to be using) is the one you get when you point a browser
to debian.org and click the prominent "Download Debian" link. The one
with the firmware is hidden behind a door marked "beware of the leopard"
because we don't want to be seen to be endorsing or recommending non-free
software.

I find it interesting that we're having this conversation at the same
time as a thread about how there should be a configuration option that
denies our users the opportunity to choose to install non-free software.

Regards,
    smcv