Explaining Why We Don't Endorse Other Systems - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation

Explaining Why We Don't Endorse Other Systems - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation
Skip to main text
JOIN THE FSF
GNU
Operating System
Supported by the
Free Software Foundation
Site navigation
Skip
ABOUT GNU
PHILOSOPHY
LICENSES
EDUCATION
SOFTWARE
DISTROS
DOCS
MALWARE
HELP GNU
AUDIO & VIDEO
GNU ART
FUN
GNU'S WHO?
SOFTWARE DIRECTORY
HARDWARE
Explaining Why We Don't Endorse Other Systems
We're often asked why we don't endorse a particular
system—usually a popular GNU/Linux distribution. The short
answer to that question is that they don't follow
the
free
system distribution guidelines
. But since it isn't always obvious
how a particular distro fails to follow the guidelines, this list
gives more information about the problems of certain well-known
nonfree system distros.
To learn more about the GNU/Linux systems that we do endorse, check
out our list of
free GNU/Linux
distributions
This page is maintained by the Free Software
Foundation's Licensing and Compliance Lab. You can support our efforts by
making a donation
to the FSF.
You can use our publications to understand how GNU licenses work or help
you advocate for free software, but they are not legal advice. The FSF
cannot give legal advice. Legal advice is personalized advice from a
lawyer who has agreed to work for you. Our answers address general
questions and may not apply in your specific legal situation.
Have a
question not answered here? Check out some of our other
licensing resources
or contact the
Compliance Lab at
licensing@fsf.org
Except where noted, all of the distributions listed on this page
fail to follow the guidelines in at least two important ways:
They do not have a policy of
only
including free
software, and removing nonfree software if it is discovered. Most of
them have no clear policy on what software they'll accept or reject at
all. The distributions that do have a policy unfortunately aren't
strict enough, as explained below.
The kernel that they distribute (in most cases, Linux) includes
“blobs”: pieces of object code distributed without source,
usually firmware to run some device.
Here is a list of some popular nonfree GNU/Linux distributions in
alphabetical order, with brief notes about how they fall short. We do
not aim for completeness; once we know some reasons we can't endorse a
certain distro, we do not keep looking for all the reasons.
A distro may have changed since we last updated information about
it; if you think one of the problems mentioned here has been
corrected, please
let us know
However, we will study and endorse a distro only if its developers ask
for our endorsement.
Arch GNU/Linux
Arch has no policy against distributing nonfree software through
their normal channels, and nonfree blobs are shipped with their kernel,
Linux.
Canaima GNU/Linux
Canaima GNU/Linux is a distribution made by Venezuela's government
to distribute computers with GNU/Linux. While the overall plan is
admirable, Canaima is flawed by the inclusion of nonfree software.
Its main menu has an option, “Install nonfree
software,” which installs all the nonfree drivers (even the
ones that are not necessary). The distro also ships blobs for the
kernel, Linux, and invites installing nonfree applications including
Flash Player.
CentOS
We're not aware of problems in CentOS aside from the two usual ones:
there's no clear policy about what software can be included,
and nonfree blobs are shipped with Linux, the kernel. Of course, with
no firm policy in place, there might be other nonfree software
included that we missed.
Debian GNU/Linux
Until 2022, Debian GNU/Linux came fairly close to qualifying as a
free distro: it was simple to specify that you wanted to install Debian
without any nonfree software.
Debian's Social Contract states the goal of making Debian entirely
free software, and Debian conscientiously keeps nonfree software out
of the official Debian system. However, Debian also maintains a
repository of nonfree software. It asserts that this software is
“not part of the Debian system,” but the repository is
hosted on many of the project's main servers, so people are likely to
learn from Debian itself about those nonfree packages by browsing
Debian's package database and wiki, and then might install them.
Until 2022, Debian GNU/Linux did not offer nonfree packages for
installation unless the user explicitly enabled use of that
repository. Thus, it was easy to make a free installation if you
wanted to.
That is no longer true, because Debian
has
changed its policy
. In Debian 12, initially, the installer
offered to install nonfree firmware whenever some hardware devices
“needed” that.
Since then, there has been another change for the worse. Debian
now recommends preferentially a new installer program which, on most
computers, installs all the nonfree firmware without even asking.
It is no longer easy to install only the free packages of Debian.
There are ways to request this, but they require specific knowledge.
See
Optionally
Free Is Not Enough
. In effect, Debian has become more like the
other nonfree distros.
Debian also has a “contrib” repository; its packages
are free, but some of them exist to load separately distributed
proprietary programs. This too is not thoroughly separated from the
main Debian distribution.
In addition, some of the free programs that are officially part of
Debian invite the user to install some nonfree programs.
Specifically, the Debian versions of Firefox and Chromium suggest
nonfree plug-ins to install into them.
Debian's wiki also includes pages about installing nonfree
firmware.
Fedora
Fedora does have a clear policy about what can be included in the
distribution, and it seems to be followed carefully. The policy
requires that most software and all fonts be available under a free
license, but makes an exception for certain kinds of nonfree firmware.
Unfortunately, the decision to allow that firmware in the policy keeps
Fedora from meeting the free system distribution guidelines.
Gentoo GNU/Linux
Gentoo includes installation recipes for a number of nonfree
programs in its primary package system.
Mandriva GNU/Linux
Mandriva does have a stated policy about what can be included in the
main system. It's based on Fedora's, which means that it also allows
certain kinds of nonfree firmware to be included. On top of that, it
permits software released under the original Artistic License to be
included, even though that's a nonfree license.
Mandriva also ships nonfree software through dedicated
repositories.
Manjaro GNU/Linux
Manjaro includes nonfree software through its normal channels, and ships
nonfree blobs with its kernel, Linux. It includes a proprietary office
suite and proprietary games with DRM. The distro also recommends the
installation of nonfree drivers.
Mint GNU/Linux
Mint does not have a policy against including nonfree software, it
includes nonfree binary blobs in drivers packaged with the kernel, and
it includes nonfree programs in its repositories. It even includes
proprietary codecs.
NixOS
NixOS doesn't have any policy that completely forbids nonfree
software. Instead, it has an option that needs to be activated to
install nonfree packages. But even with that option disabled, it still
ships nonfree blobs in its main repository, either with Linux (the
kernel), or through separate package(s)
like
sof-firmware
openSUSE
openSUSE offers a repository of nonfree software. This is an
instance of
how
“open” is weaker than “free”
Red Hat GNU/Linux
Red Hat's enterprise distribution primarily follows the same
licensing policies as Fedora, with one exception. Thus, we don't
endorse it for
the same reasons
. In addition to
those, Red Hat has no policy against making nonfree software available
for the system through supplementary distribution channels.
Slackware
Slackware has the two usual problems: there's no clear policy about
what software can be included, and nonfree blobs are included in
Linux, the kernel. Moreover, the “extra” directory of its
official repository includes nonfree programs, as well as scripts to
download and install nonfree programs.
SteamOS
SteamOS, a version of GNU/Linux to be distributed by Valve. It
contains proprietary software, including the Steam client and
proprietary drivers. Steam uses
Digital
Restrictions Management (DRM)
to impose restrictions on the
software it distributes, as well as on the proprietary software it
promotes via the Steam store.
SUSE GNU/Linux Enterprise
In addition to the usual two problems, several nonfree software
programs are available for download from SUSE's official FTP site.
Tails
Tails uses the vanilla version of Linux, which contains nonfree
firmware blobs.
Ubuntu GNU/Linux
Ubuntu maintains specific repositories of nonfree software, and
Canonical expressly promotes and recommends nonfree software under the
Ubuntu name in some of their distribution channels. Ubuntu offers the
option to install only free packages, which means it also offers the
option to install nonfree packages too. In addition, the version of
Linux, the kernel, included in Ubuntu contains firmware blobs.
Ubuntu
appears
to permit commercial redistribution of exact copies with the
trademarks
; removal of the trademarks is required only for
modified versions. That is an acceptable policy for trademarks.
However, the same page, further down, makes a vague and ominous
statement about “Ubuntu patents,” without giving enough
details to show whether that constitutes aggression or not.
That page spreads confusion by using the misleading
term “
intellectual property
rights
,” which falsely presumes that trademark law and patent law
and several other laws belong in one single conceptual framework. Use
of that term is harmful, without exception, so after making a
reference to someone else's use of the term, we should always reject
it. However, that is not a substantive issue about Ubuntu as a
GNU/Linux distribution.
In addition, Ubuntu is moving more and more packages to a new
package manager called Snap, which is not good for users'
freedom and autonomy. Snap uses a special kind of repository
implemented on Canonical's unreleased software. In practice
this makes it very inconvenient to package modified versions of
the free programs in Ubuntu such that users of Ubuntu can easily
install them.
Some Other Distros
Here we discuss some well-known or significant non-GNU/Linux system
distros that do not qualify as free.
Android
Android
as
released by Google contains many nonfree parts as well as many free
parts. Most of the free parts are covered by a pushover license (not
copyleft
), so manufacturers that
distribute Android in a product sometimes make those parts nonfree as
well.
BSD systems
FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD all include instructions for obtaining
nonfree programs in their ports system. In addition, their kernels
include nonfree firmware blobs.
Nonfree firmware programs used with Linux, the kernel, are called
“blobs,” and that's how we use the term. In BSD parlance,
the term “blob” means something else: a nonfree driver.
OpenBSD and perhaps other BSD distributions (called “projects” by BSD
developers) have the policy of not including those. That is the right
policy, as regards drivers; but when the developers say these distributions
“contain no blobs,” it causes a misunderstanding. They are not
talking about firmware blobs.
None of those BSD distributions has policies against proprietary
binary-only firmware that might be loaded even by free drivers.
Chrome OS
The central part of Chrome OS is the nonfree Chrome browser.
It may contain other nonfree software as well.
The rest of it is based on
ChromiumOS
so it also has the problems of Chromium OS, plus the nonfree parts of
Android.
Chromium OS
Chromium OS contains proprietary software, including firmware blobs and
nonfree user-space binaries to support specific hardware on
some computers.
In addition, the login system surveils users, as it requires a Google
account (Chromium OS does not support local accounts). The
“guest” session feature is not a real alternative to
logging in with a Google account, because it doesn't allow persistent
storage and limits the system's features.
/e/
/e/ (formerly eelo) is a modified version of Android,
which contains nonfree libraries.
GrapheneOS
GrapheneOS is a version of Android which is described as
“open source,” but it seems to include software that
isn't
free software or even “open source”
. For instance, it
comes with firmware programs for installation and it appears that at
least some of them are binaries without source code. It is said to be
“de-Googled,” but includes a way to download and install
the nonfree Google Play program.
Haiku
Haiku includes some software that you're not allowed to modify. It
also includes nonfree firmware blobs.
LineageOS
LineageOS (formerly CyanogenMod) is a modified version of Android,
which contains nonfree libraries. It also explains how to install the
nonfree applications that Google distributes with Android.
ReactOS
ReactOS is meant as a free binary compatible replacement for
Windows. Use with proprietary software and drivers meant for Windows
is one of the stated goals of the project.
Set language
Available for this page:
[en]
[ar]
العربية
[de]
[es]
[fr]
[hr]
hrvatski
[it]
italiano
[ja]
[lt]
lietuvių
[nl]
Nederlands
[pl]
polski
[pt-br]
português
[ro]
română
[ru]
русский
[sq]
Shqip
[tr]
Türkçe
[uk]
українська
[zh-cn]
简体中文
[zh-tw]
繁體中文
“The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide
mission to promote computer user freedom. We defend the rights of all
software users.”
JOIN
DONATE
SHOP
Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to

There are also
other ways to contact
the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
to

Please see the
Translations
README
for information on coordinating and contributing translations
of this article.
Copyright © 2009-2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This page is licensed under a
Creative
Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Copyright Infringement Notification
Updated:
$Date: 2025/04/24 08:26:58 $