Editing Free software (section)

===Binary blobs and other proprietary software===
In 2006, [[OpenBSD]] started the first campaign against the use of [[binary blob]]s in [[Kernel (operating system)|kernels]]. Blobs are usually freely distributable [[device driver]]s for hardware from vendors that do not reveal driver source code to users or developers. This restricts the users' freedom effectively to modify the software and distribute modified versions. Also, since the blobs are undocumented and may have [[Software bug|bugs]], they pose a security risk to any [[operating system]] whose kernel includes them. The proclaimed aim of the campaign against blobs is to collect hardware documentation that allows developers to write free software drivers for that hardware, ultimately enabling all free operating systems to become or remain blob-free.

The issue of binary blobs in the [[Linux kernel]] and other device drivers motivated some developers in Ireland to launch [[gNewSense]], a Linux-based distribution with all the binary blobs removed. The project received support from the [[Free Software Foundation]] and stimulated the creation, headed by the [[Free Software Foundation Latin America]], of the [[Linux-libre]] kernel.<ref name="FreeGNULinuxDistributions" /> {{as of|October 2012}}, [[Trisquel]] is the most popular FSF endorsed Linux distribution ranked by Distrowatch (over 12 months).<ref name="DW02" /> While [[Debian]] is not endorsed by the FSF and does not use Linux-libre, it is also a popular distribution available without kernel blobs by default since 2011.<ref name="FreeGNULinuxDistributions" />

The Linux community uses the term "blob" to refer to all nonfree firmware in a kernel whereas OpenBSD uses the term to refer to device drivers. The FSF does not consider OpenBSD to be blob free under the Linux community's definition of blob.<ref name="commondistrosfsf" />