Is this the end of Linux?

[Palmpilot]

There's a fad spreading around the world, which involves passing laws requiring operating-system suppliers to implement mandatory age-attestation features and attestation databases, and mandating ruinous fines for failure to comply. This is a big problem for open-source operating systems such as Linux, whose suppliers often don't have the resources to set up and maintain such databases, let alone to pay the ridiculous fines, which may be required even for accidental noncompliance.

 

[MarkH]

As someone who has been a Linux user for 20 years and built my career on my Linux knowledge, the only prediction I have seen more than "the end of Linux" is "the year of the Linux desktop", neither have happened yet.

 

[Salty]

they are going to have to build a lot more jails.

 

[DaleB]

I am always amused at the lengths people will go to in order to absolve parents of their responsibility to take care of their children. And that is the last thing I'm going to say on the topic.

 

[Palmpilot]

As someone who has been a Linux user for 20 years and built my career on my Linux knowledge, the only prediction I have seen more than "the end of Linux" is "the year of the Linux desktop", neither have happened yet.

I hope you're right, but this is a trend that is starting to spread in the U.S., and I have heard that something like 70% of servers are Linux-based. I'm guessing that this includes the servers that provide aviation data updates to GPS receivers, EFBs, and miscellaneous Web sites like Skyvector, etc.

 

[decalogue]

Shall not comply, it’s just a shoe horn in to spying under the old and tired “for the children” line

Also

It’s funny, I have much more internet freedom changing my VPN to Mexico than many US states, we need to get our government back in check with the Bill of Rights as seen in the federalist papers

 

[MooneyDriver78]

Guess I will have to switch back to FreeBSD.

 

[Bob Noel]

There's a fad spreading around the world, which involves passing laws requiring operating-system suppliers to implement mandatory age-attestation features and attestation databases, and mandating ruinous fines for failure to comply.

It would be, ahem, challenging to implement such OS functionality in an embedded system.

But thinking through all the implications and ramifications of feel-good laws is a rarity.

 

[flyingron]

There's a fad spreading around the world,

By around the world, you mean California and Colorado. The EU has yet to add such.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

It will never hold up.

 

[Palmpilot]

By around the world, you mean California and Colorado. The EU has yet to add such.

The video at the beginning of the thread focuses largely on the effects of a law that was passed in Brazil, and discusses efforts to pass such laws in Europe and elsewhere, so it really is looking like a spreading trend around the world.

 

[Palmpilot]

It will never hold up.

I hope you're right!

 

[Tarheelpilot]

I hope you're right!

Me too

 

[pfarber]

Well the 4th and 5th amendments should pretty well negate any Government any database law since installing an OS is not illegal, unlike age verification on say booze or p*rn sites. You would think that the ACLU would be the first in line to fight this, but sadly they are a tiny shadow of their former self regarding legal stances.

Also unless you know what a boot and a root disk is, get off my lawn!

Also also linux sucks as a desktop. On a server? All day every day and twice on Sunday.

 

[mark.staggs]

No.

The cloud primarily runs on Linux, and would be prohibitively expensive to move to any other OS en mass. Linux will evolve on the consumer side, especially given Android is Linux.

Edit to add: I didn't watch the video, and I assume this is just the same ol' FUD that's been going around since back in the 90's when I started using Linux.

 

[schmookeeg]

The video at the beginning of the thread focuses largely on the effects of a law that was passed in Brazil, and discusses efforts to pass such laws in Europe and elsewhere, so it really is looking like a spreading trend around the world.

Shhh, you're ruining a good Kommiefornia rant with unwelcome facts

 

[Corin]

One of the things many bad actors have figured out in politics, is to call all your bills, "child safety act" or something similar. That way, if you argue against it, you are seen as being anti-children-safety, and wont fight it.

 

[Palmpilot]

There is now a proposed federal law on this, HR 8250. This guy argues that it will make all devices, not just Linux, useless anytime and anywhere that Internet access is unavailable.

Text of the bill:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8250/text

 

[cowman]

In the unlikely event this really passes and even unlikelier event it's not immediately overturned remember that this is open source software. Most of the developers are probably against this and the code will be available for anyone to modify... I'd be shocked if they didn't implement it in some way that's incredibly easy for someone to disable and roll their own version.