Dear Debian Community,
I am Deep Pandya from Gujarat, India, and a long-time Debian user. I
migrated from Windows to Ubuntu in 2013 and later explored the
philosophy of the GNU project and the history of the free software
movement. After trying GNU-endorsed Trisquel and PureOS, I finally
landed on Debian (Stretch release) in 2019 and have been actively using
it since (Buster, Bullseye, Bookworm). In 2020, I even wrote a blog
post, "Reasons to choose Debian among GNU/Linux distributions"
(https://lignuxblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/27/reasons-to-choose-debian/).
Though I am not a programmer or software developer, I deeply care about
Debian's values.
In 2022, the General Resolution to officially include non-free firmware
in the installation images shocked me because it signified a move away
from Debian's conceptual roots.
I fully believe in the GNU philosophy and its uncompromising commitment
to freedom. Without that, we might not have had the Linux kernel under
GPL or even the open-source movement. However, when it comes to
practical usability, I acknowledge that some users--myself included--may
need to install non-free firmware for WiFi, Bluetooth, or graphics
drivers. But in the past, when I made such a compromise, I was aware of
it. Debian used to perfectly balance software freedom and
usability--until 2022.
I understand that users need proprietary drivers to run certain
hardware, and Debian should not ignore this reality. That is why I am
not asking Debian to become a fully GNU-endorsed distro like Trisquel,
which rejects all non-free software in every case. However, at the same
time, Debian should not readily promote non-free firmware to the point
where it loses its philosophical distinction and becomes just another
convenience-focused distribution like Ubuntu or Linux Mint.
[A Ruinous Compromise]
After compromising a byte, our goal should be to find/develop libre
alternatives so that, in the future, Debian users are less (bit)
dependent on non-free firmware. Instead, we did the
opposite--compromising more, from a byte to a kilobyte, for the sake of
convenience. If this trend continues, what stops us from reaching a
megabyte of compromise?
Debian's official inclusion of non-free firmware contradicts its
original philosophical values and social contract. Today, Debian
includes a few non-free firmwares; tomorrow, it may include several; and
the day after, many. If we normalize this now, how will future Debian
developers uphold our values? This is the kind of ruinous compromise
that GNU warns about: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/compromise.html
[A Call for Rethinking This Decision]
I urge Debian to rethink its decision to officially include non-free
firmware and correct the social contract. Instead of making non-free
firmware the default, Debian should ensure that users consciously choose
to install it while being made aware of the implications. As GNU
explains: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/install-fest-devil.html
Imagine hiding the "devil" by making it an official part of Debian.
Debian is Debian--the "devil" should not be an official part of it.
I would like to close with a modified stanza from the Free Software
Song, which fits this situation perfectly:
When we have enough free software, at our call, Debianers at our
call,
We'll kick out these dirty firmware ever more, Debianers ever more.
I look forward to hearing thoughts from the Debian community on this
important issue.
Best Regards,
Deep P. Pandya
