On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 04:33:04PM +0100, Steve McIntyre wrote: > Hi folks, > > As promised, here's a quick summary of what was discussed at the > Firmware discussion session in Heidelberg. This was not recorded on > video, so I can't provide a link for that.
Thank you for this summary which I find highly accurate! > 5b. Post-installation, tell the user more > > On first boot after installation, check the installer logs for any > firmware that was used. In each case, tell the user more about the > hardware and alternatives. Maybe even offer some suggested text that > the user could send to their computer's manufacturer/vendor to > complain about the non-free firmware. Optionally, even add a > debian.org role address in CC so that we get useful data about our > users' experiences here too. I'd like to stress this a bit more. While warning/informing the user during the installation is very important, I fear a situation where the non-free information for firmware is as well-known as the EULA of proprietary software: not at all. If all I need - as a user - is click a "yeah, it's not cool but we need it" button, even below some explanatory messages, the button will be clicked, no matter what. I see how non-free firmware is needed, espacially if the installation can't proceed due to missing network connectivity. But after it's done, after the user (possibly completely oblivious of what they did) clicked said button to proceed (he needed it anyways, right?), I'd like another message of the like: "You know, when you clicked back then, we installed non-free software. This is uncool because... Would you like to deactivate it now?". The user can still just click it away, but now the "installation stress" is over, the "nerdy neighbour" who ran through the installation with them left, the user is about to actually use the system. *That's* when they need to reconsider. And, as pointed out already, the system might even work without the non-free stuff. Hauke
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