A free operating system kernel removing non-free components from Linux, respecting user freedom and privacy with only included free software
Linux-libre is a operating system kernel based on the Linux kernel. It removes all non-free components and firmware blobs from Linux that can restrict users' freedom or violate their privacy. Linux-libre is part of the Free Software Foundation's GNU Project and aims to uphold the project's commitment to only using and promoting free software.
By removing proprietary components like firmware and drivers, Linux-libre provides a completely free system that fully respects users' freedom to study, share, and modify the software as they want. However, this means some devices that require proprietary firmware will not work properly or at all with Linux-libre.
The project is maintained by the Free Software Foundation and available under the GNU GPL license. It works with the GNU operating system to provide a fully free desktop environment. Linux-libre can be installed and used like most Linux distributions but prioritizes ideological purity over hardware compatibility.