On Tue, Jan 16, 2024 at 10:31:40PM +0000, Jeff Jennings wrote: > Greetings, > > After a couple of decades of using various Linux distributions, I've been on > Debian 10 for some years. I like it a lot! > > Recently, I decided to download Debian 12.4 and was alarmed to notice that > Debian 12 downloads are no longer through https connections. >
Hi Jeff, The most obvious place to me to start with a Debian download - if I were brand new to this - would be www.debian.org front page. It's been reorganised - there's a prominent Download link which points to the amd64 netinst image. That's served via https from cdimage.debian.org. All the downloads linked off Other downloads are also https links. > In addition, I installed 12.4 and discovered that the post installation > repository links are non-free only. Also, two of the largest corporate > entities are evident within desktop notifications, prior to any updates to > the operating system. Did you read the release notes? As others have pointed out, Debian is now supplying non-free firmware by default so that your device has up to date firmware. That was the subject of a General Resolution. The repository that it adds contains _only_ firmware: it doesn't add other software that would have been in non-free. That repository still exists independently. The medium you install from is almost exactly equivalent to the old "unofficial" installer in that respect which also contained firmware. > If you install with a machine that has a network connection, the base install process brings you up to date: your operating system is updated prior to reboot at the end of the install. If you install Gnome, then yes, there are steps in the first run of Gnome that allow you to set up corporate accounts. Note: the default is to skip these. That's not Debian specific - that's upstream Gnome and works the same way on other Linux distributions. > Then, I tried 11.8 and was able to download on https link. However, after > installing the operating system, the repository links are non-free only. > Also, the desktop notifications have an obvious presence of one of the > largest corporations. The 11.8 images are *exactly* as they were: they don't include firmware. The "unofficial" image is still there for those who can't install without firmware e.g. some wifi or the need for sound for visually impaired users to install. > > It appears that after Debian 10, the corporate takeover of open source > software is in play. > No - Debian still remains non-commercial and we're all volunteers. > It's not that I'm unwilling to download from contrib or obviously non-free > sources, but it's clear that Debian is no longer the "complete free" > operating system. It was a lot better experience to be able to run Debian > without non-free sources, and then to decide whether or not to download > non-free drivers or packages. Editing your sources list is still open to you during the install. For 12.4, firmware *is* offered by default - which allows install over WiFi / with sound for problematic cases - but the release notes also note how to disable that check such that your machine is not installed with appropriate firmware. > > Consequently, I've decided to keep using 10.13 until I can find a different > Linux distribution that is still completely free. > You have until 30th June 2024 to reconcile your choices before you lose long term support for 10.13. As you're aware: there's no update process that will allow you to skip releases so if you update from there, you'll need to go through 11 to 12. The next point release of Debian 11 and Debian 12.5 is likely to be in early February. > Please find a way to restore the integrity of open-source software > distributions. > That's a *much* wider topic for another day, perhaps: this list can only really discuss Debian :) > Thank you for your time. > > Sincerely, > Jeff Jennings With every good wish, as ever, Andy Cater (amaca...@debian.org)
