this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2024
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Is Linux not free software itself? I thought propietary stuff was added downstream.

Am I getting something wrong?

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[–] TMP_NKcYUEoM7kXg4qYe@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

I also think there are great projects under the FSF. My issue is the politics and Linux-libre because it's harmful.

I don't think CPU microcode will be open source but the good thing is that RISC-V and ARM don't need microcode so that could be avoided entirely in the future.

Right now (and for a while from now) we have to always settle, the FSF only never settle because they settled when writing their nonsensical guidelines. Closest you can get to full open source device is the MNT reform laptop. Technically you can even have an Open Source CPU on it but everything is at the cost of usability and yet it's still not perfect. But nothing is perfect imo, that's why imo you can never settle.