this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2026
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    If you can feel a very small tinge of existential horror when you read the words "try to", congratulations, you're a true *nix devotee.

    If legislators get grumpy about this, just gently thwap them with your handy copy of The Unix Haters Handbook and tell them you're working as hard as you can under the circumstances.

    top 50 comments
    sorted by: hot top controversial new old
    [–] thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 2 days ago (8 children)

    "Must be outside of California, Colorado, and Brazil to download or use this install ISO"

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    [–] dasrael@lemmy.zip 25 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    We don't comply, is what we do. We ignore stupid fuckin' laws made by idiots who clearly have no idea what consultation is. It's time open source tech starts to diversify where it keeps its HQ and base of operations.

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    [–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 24 points 2 days ago

    Or maybe we shouldn't do age verification

    [–] kittykillinit@lemy.lol 4 points 1 day ago

    This is another step towards having a digital ID that is required to use computers at all.

    [–] Vocalize8711@lemmy.world 34 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    By definition of this new law, is Linux an OS? It is technically just the kernel. At what layer of the software stack does the responsibility of age verification lie at?

    Sigh... If nobody else is gonna do it, I'll reply with the copypasta.

    I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're refering to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

    Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called Linux, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

    There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called Linux distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux!

    [–] thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

    Linux is the kernel, GNU is the operating system, make demands to them
    GNU is only a component of the GNU/Linux system, make demands to distributors
    But this is a distribution of Linux, make demands to Linux
    But Linux is the kernel...

    [–] kittykillinit@lemy.lol 2 points 1 day ago

    Nobody in the government and few people in tech are smart enough to make this distinction.

    Kinda sad how the world is run by idiots.

    [–] odelik@lemmy.today 2 points 1 day ago

    I'm getting closer and closer to either leaving the US as a tech-refuge or moving to the middle of nowhere and living off grid with my data horde that has more offline media than one could consume in a lifetime.

    Not sure which is the best option. My bet is that Trump will start dropping nukes to prevent himself from leaving office and wind up cooking the planet alive before I get to choose.

    [–] raicon@lemmy.world 203 points 3 days ago (10 children)

    Age verification is just paving way for things a lot worse: globally unique identification.

    They ( politicians ) will weaponize the inefficiencies in this implementation to push for an online verification later on.

    And of course Peter Thiel will be somewhere in the middle

    [–] db2@lemmy.world 126 points 3 days ago (3 children)

    Your dissent has been noted for later enforcement action, Citizen 1d887190-bfe4-4a22-ae6d-4b519a9c5483.

    [–] definitely_AI@feddit.online 50 points 3 days ago (2 children)

    This makes me nauseous because of the reality.

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    [–] zephiriz@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 days ago (4 children)

    I wonder about all the little IoT things we have that run Linux but have no interface other than a button or 2. My garage door opener, a picture frame, my lawnmower, my vacuum, my switches, my modem, my cameras....

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    [–] Hiro8811@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago (4 children)

    Or you can just refuse to operate there, if enough developers do that It'll force them scrap it.

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    [–] Zephorah@discuss.online 142 points 3 days ago (5 children)

    It’s not about age. It’s about uniquely identifying everyone who uses a computer.

    [–] definitely_AI@feddit.online 56 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

    But think of all the pedophiles it will stop! Surely you don't want pedophiles to get away with their crimes*? What are you, a pedophile?

    (* T&C apply, if you are a +1B shareholder, please disregard)

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    [–] brokenwing@discuss.tchncs.de 111 points 3 days ago (8 children)

    I recently read an article from the creaters of PopOS. In that they raise a vaild point. If a child installs a virtualization software (say with the concent of an adult for educational purposes), then they can but browse internet through the VM, with them being the root user, pretending to be adults. It defeats the whole purpose of such verification methods. So their plan would to stick with ID based ones.

    I think this was never about age verification, but to uniquely fingerprint every person using internet and to keep accountability.

    Lets face it, the internet you knew is dead.

    [–] tdawg@lemmy.world 62 points 3 days ago (1 children)

    I'll just do what I'm always done since I was 10

    "How old are you?"

    "115 years young of course"

    [–] BlindFrog@lemmy.world 29 points 3 days ago (1 children)

    1/1/1900, just celebrated my 126th

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    These laws are not written by the technically literate. They are written by attorneys based on the whims of old legislators who think that Siri is a real woman that they are talking to.

    While the people who write the laws are competent, the legislators are not.

    At the state level, it's even worse because they are often given legislation carefully written by lobbyists and special interest groups.

    If you have any inkling to run for office, please consider doing so because we need smarter people in every branch of government.

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    [–] baner@lemmy.zip 27 points 2 days ago (4 children)

    Using linux is not proof enough?

    [–] Virtvirt588@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago

    If you're using Linux you're already 99% smarter than the people making these stupid laws. At this point your age doesnt matter.

    No

    I am a teen and I use Linux

    My first PC ran Ubuntu, I think I was like 7 when I got it; now I use openSUSE

    the reason for this is that my dad is a tech guy, for a while he used FreeBSD on desktop (and still uses it on a VPS)

    [–] shirro@aussie.zone 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

    My kids have used Linux from birth. One of them is voting age now. A Chromebook is Linux. They mostly just open steam.

    [–] Sturgist@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago

    Possibly not Linux, but likely is:

    Someone in a music gear discord server I'm on found a bit of Tracker gear for their baby. Get em started young!

    [–] boneyards@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (3 children)

    I used my first distro at like 13 lol.

    [–] Virtvirt588@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

    That's why these laws are completely delusional. Being a kid is one thing, but being a teenager is another thing. Laws like this disregard teenagers - and later on expect them to know everything at 18. What a stupid world.

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    [–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

    groups katy

    katy : katy sudo adult

    [–] neclimdul@lemmy.world 28 points 3 days ago (1 children)

    Pass.

    Its my computer, I own it, gtfo and let me use it how ever I want.

    [–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 29 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (12 children)

    sure, but if an application β€œrequires” age verification for whatever reason, would you prefer the functional equivalent to clicking β€œi’m over 18 pinky promise” as a standard, or they use biometric data that they all implement differently and then there’s like 33.7 leaks in the next 6 months?

    like the whole thing is bullshit, but a file on disk is a wink wink nudge nudge sure we are compliant bud

    the true unix way: if you text editor you own the world

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    [–] Widdershins@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

    If they made TempleOS the default operating system age verification would be irrelevant because it takes 20 years of experience to use.

    [–] Zozano@aussie.zone 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

    #/etc/nixos/modules/age-verify.nix

    { config, lib, pkgs, ... }:

    {

    services.age-verification = {

    enable = true;

    age = 18;

    };

    }

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