I’m considering getting an x60 to libreboot myself to use as a server/ tor relay nothing heavy.
I was wondering if I could get a review from people who have used it before recently.
I daily drive an x200 so I’m not alien to older hardware.
So I am currently using Parabola GNU Linux-Libre. However scrolling through the hyperbola.info website it seems super based.
I have heard that it’s no longer well maintained and that it’s moving to a BSD version.
Does anyone use it? Do you still get updates? How often do you get them? What kernel are you on? Etc.
Update I entered the live iso and attempted to update the system no updates available okay….
OpenRC 0.28 vs 0.62.5
Vlc 3.0 vs 22.3
Linux-Libre 5.15 vs 6.18
Yeah this isn’t looking good. But it’s only the iso.
There are only a few fully libre still maintained distributions.
Guix Trisquel Parabola PureOS
Out of which Parabola is out of date with its kernel and firmware despite recent vulnerabilities.
I just wanted a fully libre distribution with full disk encryption including /boot however only Guix and Trisquel remain practical for this. Trisquel has this one guide from 2016 that requires modifying the libreboot flash ROM, and Guix is immensely complicated.
I think it’s strange that distributions such as Trisquel and PureOS don’t natively support FDE given that users of all free software tend towards greater privacy.
Apparently equitable access would rather I not have my textbook to study for my midterm.
So what’s the point of sending an email telling us to use the link if it needs Canvas for some bs copyright reason?
* Building file list for packages cleaning...
* Cleaning binary packages...
* Location /var/cache/binhost/gentoo
[ 20.0 K ] acct-group/colord-0-r2~1
[ 20.0 K ] acct-user/colord-0-r2~1
[ 180.0 K ] app-arch/lz4-1.10.0-r1~6
[ 2.3 M ] dev-db/mysql-connector-c-8.0.41-r1~4
[ 200.0 K ] dev-libs/json-glib-1.10.8~6
[ 110.0 K ] dev-libs/libgusb-0.4.9~11
[ 17.2 M ] dev-qt/qtbase-6.10.3~1
[ 9.6 M ] gui-libs/gtk-4.18.6-r1~12
[ 2.1 M ] media-libs/gst-plugins-bad-1.24.13-r1~1
[ 2.5 M ] media-libs/gst-plugins-base-1.24.13-r1~1
[ 1.8 M ] media-libs/gstreamer-1.24.13~5
[ 720.0 K ] x11-misc/colord-1.4.8-r1~4
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/python-exec/python3.13/eclean-pkg", line 42, in <module>
main()
~~~~^^
File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/gentoolkit/eclean/cli.py", line 744, in main
doAction(action, options, exclude=exclude, output=output)
~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/gentoolkit/eclean/cli.py", line 621, in doAction
clean_size = cleaner.clean_pkgs(clean_me, pkgdir)
File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/gentoolkit/eclean/clean.py", line 69, in clean_pkgs
TaskHandler(show_progress_bar=self.quiet).run_tasks(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^
[binhost.BinhostHandler], "fix"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
)
^
File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/portage/emaint/main.py", line 141, in run_tasks
returncode, msgs = getattr(inst, func)(**kwargs)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/portage/emaint/modules/binhost/binhost.py", line 225, in fix
bintree._pkgindex_write(self._pkgindex)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/portage/dbapi/bintree.py", line 2202, in _pkgindex_write
f.close()
~~~~~~~^^
File "/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/portage/util/__init__.py", line 1541, in close
os.rename(tmp_name, real_name)
IsADirectoryError: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/var/cache/binpkgs/Packagesr_3evhbk'
Does anyone know how to fix this
I’ve been stuck between Gentoo and GNU Guix.
Gentoo lets me do everything I want to, customize my kernel, set up encryption, set use flags, use DWM all with the ease of a kindergartner.
But it isn’t sworn to the FSDG FSF regulations. Here comes the tin foil hat. Sure I have the -* @FREE setting enabled along with the recommended USE Flags under 100% libre Gentoo. Sure my browser is GNU IceCat and I use the Linux-libre kernel. But I’m still concerned that non free software that could theoretically be backdoored or unauditable could seep in since it’s not a priority of the distro.
GNU Guix is sworn to the FSDG heck it’s made by the GNU project. But it’s very difficult to get DWM, and modifying package use flags requires manually editing package definitions or editing source code directly which is a huge pain since programming is not a priority for me.
Is this a valid concern? Is there a way that I a user can guarantee 100% free software on my computer on Gentoo?
To simplify the issue packages that would require manual patching could theoretically be installed via the Guix package manger such as qutebrowser. But this isn’t a great solution since configurability is lost.
Before you mention the FSF approved or GPL compatible license settings try it on your machine and you will immediately see the problem. Just set it to one of these and try emerging neofetch. Basically it masks most of your system from qtbase to dbus to curl etc.
The most person computer I have is my HP Omnibook 7 with an Intel EVO Ultra 7
GNU IceCat —> 15 minutes is probably my fastest
Deblobbing is when you take the stock Linux kernel and run a script to delete all the binary blobs and hooks to load non free firmware to arrive at a fully free kernel.
My question is why does this process take so long? Shouldn’t it just be editing a text file which should take like 5 minutes?
On my x200 compiling takes 1.5 hrs and this nearly takes 1.5 hrs why?
I love my x200 , no Intel ME all libre that’s great. But I really really miss Hyprland and how cool it was.
I’m looking for a thinkpad that is librebootable , where the IME can be disabled through me_cleaner not just the HAP bit , and that can comfortably run Hyprland.
Is such a thing possible?
https:// archive.org/details/gnu-fde
It may take a bit to show up.
Basically Parabola GNU Linux-libre lags behind a lot and given recent security issues around the kernel I need steady updates. After much pain here it is. Full disk encryption including /boot. Canoeboot bios, Linux-libre kernel and deblobbed limux-firmware.
I will be publishing a guide on how to install gentoo with true FDE on libreboot on legacy bios. Probably here or the IRC.
Gentoo OpenRC
I have tried doas rc-update del dhcpcd default but this does nothing.
I want to use network manager now. During the install I was using Ethernet so I decided to use dhcpcd my fucking mistake. Now I can’t get rid of it and worse
doas rc-update add NetworkManager default won’t start NetworkManager on reboot which means my vpn won’t start either. I’m starting them from my xinitrc by running the commands manually but this isn’t ideal.
I’ve never faced such an issue before on Gentoo.
I will be using both as 100% free software. I am on the x200 with a core2duo.
On the one hand GNU Parabola, fully libre blazing fast package management with Pacman but lots of outdated packages and limited configurability. I also have some security concerns like how Linux-libre-firmware hasn’t been updated since last year.
On the other Gentoo, not GNU certified , however it is infinitely customizable, but its source based on a core2duo a huge pain. From a security standpoint it gets far more regular updates.
I’m stuck, is the security risk from Parabola worth it to switch to Gentoo or no?
I have tried GNU Guix I’m simply not at the stage where I can use it effectively, I’m just not that tech savvy nor do I have the time to become that tech saavy.
The distro must be
100% free or be very easy to make 100% free (free as in freedom)
Must support net install no Calameras.
Must support full disk encryption including the boot partition.
For those of us who have tried installing Gentoo as a Musl or/and LLVM system we know that the browser and gtk applications tend to break a lot.
I’ve been wondering could the GNU Guix package manager solve this because it’s fully portable on any system?
I’ve seen that it installs its own dependencies. Could this be the better alternative than Flatpak?