Trisquel, Debian and Free Software
Debian is 100% free and so is Trisquel. But in Debian it's possible to install non-free software. When I'm using Trisquel my TP-Link WN422G (usb wifi adapter) works perfectly without any modifications, but on Debian requires non-free firmware (firmware-atheros). What is going on? Which OS is wrong?
If Stretch or older you'll need this.
On 01/12/17 22:11, wrote:
> Debian is 100% free and so is Trisquel. But in Debian it's possible to
> install non-free software.
You don't have a clue, my dear.
In Trisquel is possible to install non-free software.
In Debian not only is possible to install non-free software, but
Debian itself supplies it.
So... 100% free? Haha!
--
Ignacio Agulló · name at domain
"Which OS is wrong?"
They're both right. The firmware was originally proprietary but was freed on March 8, 2013. But it didn't appear in Debian Unstable until March ***2017***, an entire four years later and even then, it won't appear in a Debian stable release until Debian 10 codename Buster, which is probably going to be released in 2019 (my estimate), an entire ***six years*** after the free firmware was released. In the meantime they've had a number of stable releases that it could have been put into but instead left people to use the non-free firmware instead. So much for a distro that supposedly values freedom. I should point out that the free firmware package was available within Trisquel very quickly after the release in 2013.