@lanodan >Pretty sure the linux kernel actually doesn't have blobs but only software to support blobs (which are nicely separated in linux-firmware).
You can't help but spread proprietary misinformation can you?

Although efforts have been put until moving massive derivative works into "linux-firmware", updating such software in lockstep and distributing such in parallel, Linux still contains many pieces of proprietary software disguised as arrays of numbers.

As a result, the only versions of Linux I'm confident that aren't proprietary are GNU Linux-libre and Debian's patched version (but it wouldn't surprise me at this point if Debian reverted their proprietary removal patches).

Even if the Linux project was to move all proprietary software into "linux-firmware" and make it a rule that such isn't allowed directly in tree, Linux still wouldn't respect freedom, as by default it loves recommending proprietary software, even when hardware is perfectly functional without it.

>but damn, you can finally update the bios and USB peripherals without weird workarounds
Updating my BIOS is a simple flashrom -p internal command - how exactly is questionable software that downloads questionable proprietary software over the internet any good comparably?

Damn, what kind of usb devices are you using to be regularly updating proprietary software on them?

> it also means that creating libre alternatives is easier as the infra is libre, you need to take steps)
Well there it is, how proprietary software is being installed without informing the user as to what's actually being installed is a good thing actually, as such will technically make it more convenient to implement mere alternatives.

Unfortunately I've never heard of a case where such proprietary distros have added proprietary software with "convenient" install methods and have ever ended up taking it out in favor of a free implementation (it seems to be only ever taken out when support for such hardware is dropped).

To be frank, if you have the skills and drive to eliminate proprietary malware with a free replacement, you won't be phased with having to manually source and install it for reverse engineering purposes - that's the easiest part actually.