this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2026
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Proprietary blobs are also present throughout regular linux distributions. And I hear and participate with the moans they generate but users understand that sometimes modems, wireless chips or GPUs (main culprits) have us stuck at the onset of using Linux at all. Debian had to reverse it's procedure from a default free only to default mix and user has to specify if he doesn't want proprietary firmware installed. Even graphene OS has to make do with proprietary firmware.
It's a whole lot more than just firmware, though. The UI is proprietary. A bunch of the basic system apps are proprietary. The Android compatibility layer is proprietary. You're not really buying into an open OS that happens to have proprietary components; you're getting a proprietary OS built in open components.