Quoting Renaud OLGIATI (renaud@???):

> On the other hand, by making it impossible to install without having
> to go and hunt firmwares under the excuse that they are not open
> source, open-source talibans are doing exactly what they condemn in
> the systemd talibans: both take away from the user his liberty of
> choice.

Proprietary firmware BLOBs divide into two subclases: (1) Copyright
owner has issued permission for public redistribution under terms a
distro can reasonably comply with in creating installation images.
(2) Copyright owner has not.

Quite a few manufacturers of wireless and even ethernet chipsets
routinely fail to issue permission for public redistribution (**cough**
Broadcom **cough**). However, a distro like Devuan could certainly
include proprietary firmware BLOBs from category #1 inline into
installation media.

Ones from category #2 tend to require more-complex workarounds, like the
b43-fwcutter utility[1] that retrofits proprietary firmware for Broadcom
b43-series wireless chips by fetching MS-Windows drivers from the
Internet -- obviously, requiring an ethernet link -- and 'cutting' the
firmware BLOB out of them and discarding the rest.

The overall situation for category #2 could be rectified if, e.g.,
Broadcom executives could be distracted long enough from snorting net
profits up their noses to write a one-paragraph permission letter.
Failing that, workarounds are the best that can be done.

[1] See http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43/#Device_firmware_installation

-- 
Cheers,                "It's easier to act your way into a new way of thinking
Rick Moen              than think your way into a new way of acting."
rick@???                        -- Jerry Sternin 
McQ! (4x80)