On Wednesday 28 July 2021 at 23:29:55, Steve Litt wrote:

> Every Linux distro's install media should have all drivers available during
> installation. After installation, if the user wishes to remove all non-free
> from his computer, he can do so.
> Or, the installation process can come with an "include nonfree drivers
> and blobs" switch that defaults to "yes".

I agree that the *install media* should have all drivers available, so they
can be used for the installation process.

It should still be the user's choice as to whether to *install* those drivers
into the working system, or whether simply to *use* them for the installation
process itself (either may be a valid choice, depending on what hardware we're
talking about).

It would, of course, be good of the installer to point out that "if you don't
choose to install this non-free driver, then that part of your system will
very likely not work".

> I don't care what Debian does, I'd suggest that Devuan's default install
> include all the non-free drivers, firmware and blobs that Devuan has, and
> just have a way to shut it off for the more Stallmanesque among us.

I agree with this, because:

> adopting a zero-tolerance for nonfree during install drives people away from
> free software in droves.

We should make it easy for people to install Open Source software on whatever
hardware they have, if it can somehow be supported. If that then gives the
user a personal dilemma between "use this hardware with non-free software" or
"use only free software and miss out on the hardware", then at least that's
their choice, but at present they don't even get the choice - the hardware
simply doesn't work with free software, so they can't even try out free
software on the (rest of the) hardware they have.


Antony.

--
I want to build a machine that will be proud of me.

- Danny Hillis, creator of The Connection Machine

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