On 2025-11-26 12:52:06 +0100 (+0100), Simon Josefsson wrote: [...]
I think the >98% number gives an unfair impression, but I agree it is somewhere between 0 and 100. The number is also different if you consider non-free software stored in ROM (which I think you do?), or if you accept them (which I do), with the latter being the FSF philosophy.I have some relatively modern machines that I can make use of without having to handle non-free software when I install the OS. Including Framework Laptop 13 (AMD HX 370), NovaCustom NV56 (I155H), NovaCustom NV41 (i7-1260P), MSI Z790-P (i9-14900K), ADLINK Ampere Altra arm64, Dell R630 2xE2680v4, and Raptor Talos II ppc64el. I suspect the P550 riscv64 is another example, but haven't confirmed it.My guess is that around 20% of laptops out there requires providing it with non-free software to start. I have the MNT Reform laptop but as far as I understand it needs non-free DDR training blobs to start.
[...]You seem to have gotten focused on the "can it boot without supplying firmware blobs" question, and I agree that thankfully there's a lot of hardware out there that's just fine booting Debian on its own. The bigger issue is that major processor manufacturers are seeing multiple significant security vulnerabilities annually in their microcode. Just in the time that laptop sits on the shelf in a warehouse before it gets shipped to you, new security vulnerabilities have been announced that it's susceptible to. These days it's almost a sort of security malpractice to be "the distribution that doesn't patch vulnerabilities in your firmware."
-- Jeremy Stanley
Attachment:
signature.asc
Description: PGP signature