In this machine, wifi chip is freedom incompatible, but it has an Ethernet port. What I do now is, whenever I'm at home where I have access to Ethernet, I boot into the Linux-libre kernel. I also keep a copy non-free Linux kernel so that I can have wifi in case of emergencies.
My guess is I can keep a similar setup. I can get the non-free linux kernel from Ubuntu archive. Or if necessary I can always build it from source.
@redstarfish Why not get a freedom-respecting Wi-Fi card that you can just plug in, rather than falling into the trap of running proprietary software later?
@Suiseiseki@redstarfish The point is more, good luck finding a laptop that you can change the wifi card in, and a wifi card that fits it that isn't absolutely proprietary. Yeah, thinkpads exist, and that's probably not what he has (which is his second mistake).
@menherahair@redstarfish@Zergling_man There is no Wi-Fi card whitelist on GNUbooted thinkpads and for absolutely proprietary thinkpads there are documented techniques where you can use another mPCIe port or tape over a pin to bypass the whitelist (plus there are patched BIOSs that remove the whitelist).
You can get M.2 to mPCIe convertor cards - it's just a matter of finding a convertor that fits.
@Zergling_man@Suiseiseki@redstarfish I thought majority of laptops released after some point have wifi modules attached on m.2, and thinkpads are by far the hardest to replace because of the hardware whitelist on the port
@Suiseiseki@redstarfish@Zergling_man I mean that's harder than take old card out, put new card in. and I think we've talked about buying ready gnubooted machines being a scam already