Re: [GNU-linux-libre] LibertyBSD - OpenBSD minus the blobs

[Riley Baird]

On 30/12/14 07:17, Michał Masłowski wrote:
>> There are currently no FSF-approved BSD distributions, and not many
>> designed for servers.
> 
> Do the GNU/Linux-libre distributions need separate design to be useful
> on servers?

Yes. Most GNU/Linux-libre distributions have a GUI and various other
unnecessary, potentially vulnerable programs. These are useful for
desktop users, but not for server users.

>> LibertyBSD is a fork of OpenBSD that contains only free software. That
>> is, the firmware blobs - both distributed with the system, and
>> downloaded at first boot - have been removed.
> 
> How do you check if there are any blobs left or if new upstream releases
> add them?

OpenBSD has a strict policy against non-free software, making an
exception for microcode, which they don't see as software. They would
not accept any other blobs, and if, in some strange accident, they did,
then they would want to remove it very quickly once informed.

> Do you change or remove userspace packages?  (GNU/Linux distros usually
> need to adapt man pages and programs recommending nonfree software, and
> remove several nonfree programs.)

I don't think it is very practical to change the manpages to remove all
reference to non-free software - I'd have to read every single manpage,
and even then I'd probably miss some. I'm happy to accept patches for
this once LibertyBSD is released, however.