@thatguyoverthere @cjd >I don't think they are being entirely truthful.
As always, the FSF is telling the truth.

>the default kernel seems to just be Linux
The default release of the kernel, Linux is known to be proprietary software as it contains proprietary software;
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/arch/powerpc/platforms/8xx/micropatch.c
arch/powerpc/platforms/8xx/micropatch.c:
* Microcode patches for the CPM as supplied by Motorola.
* This is the one for IIC/SPI. There is a newer one that
* also relocates SMC2, but this would require additional changes
* to uart.c, so I am holding off on that for a moment.

Although the identifier notes GPLv2-only, I can't find any corresponding source code, nor a written offer for such, so that's not the license.

I've also seen certain tables in the below that look like they could contain software, with no source code available, but there is the possibility that such is all pure data and/or magic register values:
drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c
drivers/net/usb/r8152.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtl8xxxu/rtl8xxxu_core.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtl8xxxu/rtl8xxxu_8192c.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtl8xxxu/rtl8xxxu_8192e.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtl8xxxu/rtl8xxxu_8723a.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtl8xxxu/rtl8xxxu_8723b.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/rtw8821c.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/rtw8822b.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/rtw8723d.c
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw89/rtw8852a.c
drivers/net/phy/mscc/mscc_main.c

drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb/af9005-script.h
File automatically generated by createinit.py using data
extracted from AF05BDA.sys (windows driver):

drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop-fe-tuner.c
/* CableStar2 DVB-C */
#if FE_SUPPORTED(STV0297) && FE_SUPPORTED(PLL)
static u8 alps_tdee4_stv0297_inittab[] = {

drivers/media/i2c/vgxy61.c
static const u8 patch_array[] = {

That's really just scratching the surface - see for yourself; https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre/releases/6.12.9-gnu/deblob-6.12
Most of the options just disable proprietary software loading machinery, but many remove proprietary software too.

The machinery is disabled because it otherwise forces proprietary software onto people, rather then giving them the choice whether to run it or not.

Of course, the user is free to load whatever proprietary software they want with the misnamed; "CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE"

>the experts >on reddit
Software freedom experts, or really anyone actually competent at programming is not on reddit.

>I think they penalize anyone who makes things like intel microcode available to users.
That is totally unrelated.

Of course the FSF doesn't hesitate to point out that a distro that suggest proprietary software under a nasty proprietary software license is not a free distro.

>Incorrect reddit Arch poster comments as "evidence".