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Debian Libre Live Images Released for Software Freedom Lovers
Back in 2022, a few months before the release of Debian 12 “Bookworm”, the Debian Project decided to ship non-free firmware packages from the “non-free-firmware” Debian repository on the official Debian ISO images, forcing users to use proprietary software.
But this change was needed to ensure Debian runs on as many hardware platforms as possible. Still, Debian provided users with a way to disable the detection and use of non-free firmware by setting the firmware=never boot parameter to the Debian Installer media.
Linuxiac:
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Debian Libre Live Images Debut for Fully Free Debian Installations
Simon Josefsson, a Debian developer, announced that the project now has a fully free alternative for users who want to run or install Debian 13 (Trixie) without any non-free components.
The new Debian Libre Live Images provide amd64 live and installer ISOs built entirely without proprietary firmware, addressing a long-standing gap created after Debian’s 2022 decision to include non-free firmware in its official images for the Bookworm and Trixie releases.
The target audience is users who prefer a system free of licensing restrictions and proprietary blobs while remaining close to the experience offered by the regular Debian Live Images. The goal of this initiative is to provide a Debian environment that does not require accepting the restrictive licenses associated with proprietary firmware.
Linux Magazine:
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Debian Unleashes Debian Libre Live » Linux Magazine
When you see the word Libre attached to a Linux distribution, you automatically know what it's all about: freedom. There are several Linux distributions with that moniker, and each of them shuns software that isn't open source. The Debian team decided to jump into that particular fray with Debian Libre Live.
Debian has been including non-free software for a few years now, which comes by way of firmware to ensure users get the best out-of-the-box experience. Of course, there's a large subcommunity within the Linux world that doesn't want proprietary software on their desktops. The Debian team understands the need for freedom and has created this new take.
The official site for Debian Libre Live states, "One advantage of Debian Libre Live Images is that you do not need to agree to the distribution terms and usage license agreements of the non-free blobs included in the official Debian images." It continues to say, "The rights to your own hardware won't be crippled by the legal restrictions that follow from relying on those non-free blobs."