Antony Stone said on Wed, 28 Jul 2021 23:42:52 +0200

>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.

Yes!

>
>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).

Yes, and I'd like the default to be "use nonfree".

>
>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".

Yes!

>
>> 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.

X actly!!!

SteveT

Steve Litt
Spring 2021 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful
Technologist http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques