Debian 6.0 'Squeeze' to Ship with a Completely Free Kernel

Debian is one of the best examples in the open source world of a community focused on the principles governing free software. One of the pillars of Debian philosophy is that the Linux distro will always be 100 percent free.

However, while there is no proprietary software shipped by default with Debian, some components of the Linux kernel do not adhere to the open source principles. The Debian community is now announcing that Debian 6.0 Squeeze will come with a completely free Linux kernel.

"We have... kept on working on splitting away non-free bits from the Linux kernel, thanks to the work of the Debian Kernel team and various Linux upstream developers," the Debian Project wrote.

"We are proud to announce that, to the best of our knowledge, all issues are solved and that we will be able to deliver a Linux kernel which is completely Free, according to the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG), with Debian Squeeze. We hereby reaffirm Free Software as one of our priorities, as documented in the Debian Social Contract," the official announcement added.

What this means is that the kernel in Debian 6.0 Squeeze will have no binary drivers whatsoever. A lot of work has been done on removing the proprietary parts and finding alternatives where possible.

For the past two major releases, Debian was unable to provide a truly free release. Finally, the work is done and Debian 6.0 Squeeze will be completely free. "Free" in this case refers to freedom not price, of course.

That said, the team is well aware that there are cases where binary drivers will be required. As such, the Debian Project will be providing alternative installation images and other packages needed in the "non-free" repositories. However, those packages will not receive the full support of the project and are provided for users with no other alternatives.