on this evening, 18 years ago, the #Linux-libre project was launched.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140203134408/http://lists.autistici.org/message/20080221.002845.467ba592.en.html

before that, every distro that wanted to respect its users' freedom had to remove itself all of the binary blobs that were distributed as part of the kernel Linux's so-called sources

it took a little while for Linux to react to being so called out, by first making those binary blobs loadable separately, and then moving most of them to a separate subproject.

that didn't really solve any freedom issues, given that the drivers still demanded users to install and run those blobs.

Linux-libre joined the #GNU Project a few years later.

the set of blobs demanded by Linux has grown out of control, much faster than Linux itself. nowadays there are even binary blobs that contain a binary copy of Linux!

you might think that, after the split, the kernel Linux became entirely Free, and that the only remaining problem are the demands for binary blobs and the documentation that directs users to install them.

unfortunately, not even that is true. Linux still carries a few binary blobs disguised as arrays of bytes in what was supposed to be source files. there have even been recent additions to this wall of shame.

so it doesn't look like we'll be able to retire GNU Linux-libre any time soon.

when you're ready to try software freedom for real, we'll be here for you
https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/