Re: Possible draft non-free firmware option with SC change

[Luna Jernberg <droidbittin@gmail.com>]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RWdELdiws4&t=5756s

On 9/13/22, Simon Josefsson <simon@josefsson.org> wrote:
> Ansgar <ansgar@debian.org> writes:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> On Mon, 2022-09-12 at 21:03 +0200, Simon Josefsson wrote:
>>> My experience is the same as you describe, with the free installer:
>>> if you pick the right hardware, Debian works directly today.
>>
>> By "right hardware", I assume you mean hardware that comes with already
>> preinstalled non-free software?
>
> Yes, or (preferrably) hardware that does not come with non-free software
> at all.
>
>> Does choosing only hardware with preinstalled non-free software
>> (instead of partially OS-supplied non-free firmware) make the non-free
>> software more free?
>
> I don't believe so, no.
>
>>> What it seems this vote is about is to go back to the time where a
>>> non-free work is required before you can get to the decent free
>>> environment.
>>
>> Try removing all non-free firmware then. Your system won't boot, not
>> display anything and you won't be able to input anything either.
>
> I think you (and Simon McVittie in his email) assume that I have as much
> of a problem with non-free works that comes with my system as I do with
> non-free works that comes from Debian.  I don't.
>
> Lenovo never promised that my laptop would not contain any non-free
> software, and their commercial compromise to be able to sell a laptop is
> understandable.  I prefer if that wasn't the case, and buy machines
> built in a different way (say Purism Libre or Talos II), but I chose to
> use my laptop anyway given its limitations.
>
> My reason for using Debian is that I can rely on getting a 100% free
> system, and then add non-free works on top of it when I chose to do so.
>
> For example, I install the firmware-iwlwifi package on my laptop because
> I haven't been bothered to replace the wifi module with an Atheros wifi
> module yet, even though I bought it five years ago.  This flexibility
> suits me well, and it does not seem to be in conflict with the
> flexibility you appear to desire: using a non-free installer to install
> these things automatically for you.  My flexibility will no longer be
> permitted by Proposal A and E.
>
> /Simon
>