home / distrowatch.com / item 47141385
Summary Digital Freedom & Access Advocates
This DistroWatch page serves as a comprehensive directory and information hub for Linux and BSD distributions, strongly advocating for open-source computing freedom. The content demonstrates positive alignment with digital rights themes including freedom of information, education access, and cultural participation through technology. While promoting software freedom and accessibility, the page includes third-party advertising scripts that negatively impact privacy considerations.
Article Heatmap
Preamble: +0.26 — Preamble P Article 1: +0.10 — Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood 1 Article 2: +0.22 — Non-Discrimination 2 Article 3: ND — Life, Liberty, Security Article 3: No Data — Life, Liberty, Security 3 Article 4: ND — No Slavery Article 4: No Data — No Slavery 4 Article 5: ND — No Torture Article 5: No Data — No Torture 5 Article 6: ND — Legal Personhood Article 6: No Data — Legal Personhood 6 Article 7: +0.10 — Equality Before Law 7 Article 8: ND — Right to Remedy Article 8: No Data — Right to Remedy 8 Article 9: ND — No Arbitrary Detention Article 9: No Data — No Arbitrary Detention 9 Article 10: ND — Fair Hearing Article 10: No Data — Fair Hearing 10 Article 11: ND — Presumption of Innocence Article 11: No Data — Presumption of Innocence 11 Article 12: -0.21 — Privacy 12 Article 13: +0.18 — Freedom of Movement 13 Article 14: ND — Asylum Article 14: No Data — Asylum 14 Article 15: ND — Nationality Article 15: No Data — Nationality 15 Article 16: ND — Marriage & Family Article 16: No Data — Marriage & Family 16 Article 17: ND — Property Article 17: No Data — Property 17 Article 18: +0.23 — Freedom of Thought 18 Article 19: +0.48 — Freedom of Expression 19 Article 20: +0.32 — Assembly & Association 20 Article 21: ND — Political Participation Article 21: No Data — Political Participation 21 Article 22: +0.13 — Social Security 22 Article 23: +0.10 — Work & Equal Pay 23 Article 24: ND — Rest & Leisure Article 24: No Data — Rest & Leisure 24 Article 25: +0.10 — Standard of Living 25 Article 26: +0.18 — Education 26 Article 27: +0.44 — Cultural Participation 27 Article 28: +0.13 — Social & International Order 28 Article 29: +0.10 — Duties to Community 29 Article 30: +0.13 — No Destruction of Rights 30
Aggregates
Editorial Mean +0.17 Structural Mean +0.13 Weighted Mean +0.19 Unweighted Mean +0.18 Max +0.48 Article 19 Min -0.21 Article 12 Signal 17 No Data 14 Volatility 0.15 (Medium) Negative 1 Channels E: 0.6 S: 0.4 SETL ℹ +0.07 Editorial-dominant FW Ratio ℹ 53% 39 facts · 34 inferences
Theme Radar
Foundation Security Legal Privacy & Movement Personal Expression Economic & Social Cultural Order & Duties Foundation: 0.19 (3 articles) Security: 0.00 (0 articles) Legal: 0.10 (1 articles) Privacy & Movement: -0.01 (2 articles) Personal: 0.23 (1 articles) Expression: 0.40 (2 articles) Economic & Social: 0.11 (3 articles) Cultural: 0.31 (2 articles) Order & Duties: 0.12 (3 articles)
HN Discussion
11 top-level · 14 replies
not the first time, I stopped using manjaro when I noticed ping.manjaro.org was being pinged every 30 seconds on a new router I setup. nothanks on that.
but seriously, sudo crontab -e, @monthly cerbot renew
No excuses.
Oops, it's back now though...
I used Manjaro for a few years.
That's how I learned a pretty important lesson about software engineering that still informs how I work to this day.
"A layer of abstraction on top of a stateful legacy system often doesn't result in a simpler system, it just introduces exciting new failure possibilities. This especially applies when the owners of the legacy system have no responsibility over the abstraction layer."
A lot of repositories and similar go offline randomly. It hasn't happened in a few months but usually the Microsoft package mirrors go past their Azure limits and I get reminders.
At this point we have to assume they're doing it for attention. I refuse to believe a team of people that can ship an OS, even if it's just a riced Arch, cannot figure out acme.sh. Come on...
I love Manjaro too much, use it as daily distro but their certificate issues and its recursive behaviour threaten me a little bit.
Just use Caddy. It's that simple.
Uptime Kuma supports certificate expiry notifications and will send you messages in whatever channel (e.g. e-mail, Slack, ...) you configure ahead of time:
https://uptimekuma.org/ That way, even if some of your automation is borked (or if you don't have any), you'll at least be reminded.
Though with this being pushed, feels like nobody will have much choice, but automate: https://www.digicert.com/blog/tls-certificate-lifetimes-will...
Technically it wasn't offline, was it?
You could even browse it if you used a browser who still treats you like an adult and allows you to ignore certificate warnings.
If you never want this to happen again to your systems, we’re building a tool that bakes monitoring and validation into automatic cert renewals.
<https://www.certkit.io/ >
I'm often stuck at my desk for long hours, which made it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. I started using Manjaro a few months ago, and it's had a significant impact. It helped control my appetite and reduced the constant cravings I'd usually get, making it easier to make healthier choices. I've lost around 15-20 lbs so far, and I feel much more in control of my eating habits. I know it's a bit anecdotal but it's been an important part of my weight loss journey
This comment made a lot more sense to me once I realized we weren't talking about an aggressively marketed weight loss drug.
It's not uncommon for a Distro to point NetworkManager or whoever to check for connectivity using their own servers, Arch does it themselves[0].
[0] ping.archlinux.org
This is like the third or fourth time this has happened to them.
The Manjaro team has also caught flak for a bunch of other stuff. There's a page or two our there that detail the issues, which I'm too lazy to link here.
But let's just say this isn't their first rodeo.
Note that the certbot instructions are to renew 2x a day with up to one hour of randomized delay; using @monthly as suggested here will result in occasional outages if the "once a month" renewal attempt fails in two consecutive months due to transient peak service blips (such as those caused by '@monthly' hardcoding for month X day 1 time 00:00 often UTC
without randomization),
especially as Let's Encrypt drops their lifetimes to 45 days over the next 2 years, which would result in certificates avoidably expiring in production. Please instead use certbot's recommended 2x/day renew with a random sleep of up to an hour before initiating each attempt; at least one of cronie, at, bash, python, perl random sleep methods are available on most* platforms, and are offered up by the crontab-command generator at
https://certbot.eff.org/instructions .
* There is a stack overflow page from 2016 filled with solutions for Busybox, so I'd say 'all' rather than 'some' but someone out there is hosting a webserver on a potato, so better safe than sorry.
Certbot would be like the supply chain attack holy grail. Not sure I'd want software like that running unmonitored automatically with root privileges.
"I use arbitrarily complex software that has a rapid SDLC to obfuscate the issue with the fact that we have to have military grade encryption for displaying the equivalent of a poster over the internet".
The state of our industry is such that there will be a lot of people arguing for this absurdity in the replies to me. (or I'll be flagged to death).
Package integrity makes sense, and someone will make the complicated argument that "well ackshually someone can change the download links" completely ignoring the fact that a person doing that would be quickly found out, and if it's up the chain enough then they can get a valid LE cert anyway, it's trivially easy if you are motivated enough and have access to an ASN.
Respectfully we have had Certbot for 11 years now.
Paying for certificates..? Manually copying cert files? Man, this reads like it was 2010 or something. Best of luck, but I don’t know why I wouldn’t just use acme.sh and systemd timers instead of this.
You're developing "certbot, but it's paid and sends private keys around the network instead of generating the csr locally"? Why? Who's the target audience? Platforms that can't run certbot, or any of the infinite amount of other acme clients, most likely won't be able to run your agent as well, so what's the value add vs just running a regular, well-defined (and free!) acme client and just moving the cert over manually?
The word "legacy" doesn't seem needed there.
I went from Manjaro to EndeavourOS. Great experience and I don't see it changing anytime soon. The community is healthy and the project well managed.
Can you explain it for those out of the loop?
Editorial Channel
What the content says
+0.40
Medium Advocacy Practice
Strong advocacy for cultural participation through open-source software and computing culture
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Site promotes open-source software culture Lists hundreds of community-developed distributions Includes news and reviews about computing culture Inferences
Open-source focus supports participation in cultural life of software community Platform enables enjoyment of scientific advances in computing +0.35
Medium Advocacy Practice
Strong advocacy for information freedom through open-source software and computing choice
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Site provides extensive information about Linux/BSD distributions Includes news, reviews, packages, and tutorials sections Tagline explicitly promotes choice in computing Inferences
Comprehensive distribution database supports freedom to seek and receive information Open-source focus aligns with freedom of expression in software +0.30
Medium Advocacy Framing
Tagline 'Put the fun back into computing' and focus on free/open-source software aligns with recognition of human dignity and promotion of freedom
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Page contains tagline: 'Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD.' Site provides comprehensive list of Linux/BSD distributions with descriptions and resources Navigation includes sections for news, packages, tutorials, and distro search functionality Inferences
The tagline frames computing freedom as enjoyable and accessible The comprehensive distro database supports user choice and self-determination in computing +0.25
Medium Advocacy Practice
Promotes freedom of thought through open-source software philosophy
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site promotes Linux and BSD, which are open-source operating systems Tagline emphasizes freedom and enjoyment in computing Inferences
Open-source philosophy supports freedom of thought in software development Choice among diverse distributions enables users to exercise computing beliefs +0.20
Medium Advocacy Practice
Promotes freedom of movement between computing systems and platforms
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site lists hundreds of Linux/BSD distributions with details Navigation includes 'Beginner's Guide' and tutorials section Inferences
Information about multiple distributions enables freedom to choose and change computing environments Tutorials support movement between different operating systems +0.20
Medium Practice
Promotes community participation through open-source software communities
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site lists community-developed Linux distributions Includes sections for comments and community ratings Inferences
Focus on community-developed software supports freedom of peaceful assembly Platform enables association around shared computing interests +0.20
Medium Advocacy Practice
Strong educational focus through tutorials, guides, and technical information
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Navigation includes 'Beginner's Guide' section Site has tutorials and learning resources Includes glossary and FAQ for educational purposes Inferences
Educational resources support right to education in technology field Beginner-focused content makes technical education accessible +0.15
Medium Practice
Content about accessible Linux distributions like Accessible-Coconut suggests consideration for diverse needs
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Distribution list includes 'Accessible-Coconut' Site offers distro search functionality without apparent access restrictions Inferences
Inclusion of accessibility-focused distributions suggests consideration for users with disabilities Universal access model supports non-discrimination in information access +0.15
Low Practice
Accessible computing options support social security through digital inclusion
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site provides free access to computing information Includes beginner-focused tutorials and guides Inferences
Free access to computing knowledge supports social security through digital literacy Beginner resources enable economic participation through technology skills +0.15
Low Practice
Promotes social order enabling computing freedom and choice
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site organizes information about computing systems Provides structured access to technical knowledge Inferences
Organized information platform supports social order in digital domain Structured access enables orderly exercise of digital rights +0.15
Low Advocacy
Implies protection of rights against destruction through advocacy for software freedoms
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site promotes computing freedom without apparent restriction of others' rights Focuses on non-destructive open-source alternatives Inferences
Open-source advocacy supports rights without destroying others' rights Non-proprietary focus avoids rights destruction through software monopolies +0.10
Low Framing
Philosophy of accessible computing and 'fun' implicitly supports dignity and freedom of thought
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site tagline emphasizes fun in computing Content focuses on empowering users with choice among operating systems Inferences
Emphasis on user enjoyment and choice aligns with dignity in digital life Providing options supports freedom of thought in computing preferences +0.10
Low Practice
Equal access to information about all distributions implies equality before the law for users
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Distribution list appears alphabetically organized All listed distributions have similar presentation format Inferences
Equal presentation format suggests equal treatment of different projects Alphabetical organization avoids hierarchical ranking among distributions +0.10
Low Practice
Information about computing tools supports work and employment opportunities
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site includes tutorials and learning resources Provides technical information useful for professional development Inferences
Technical knowledge supports employment in technology fields Free educational content enables vocational development +0.10
Low Practice
Accessible computing information supports standard of living through technology access
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site provides free technical information Includes resources for beginners and those seeking to improve computing skills Inferences
Free computing education supports standard of living through digital inclusion Technical knowledge contributes to quality of life in digital society +0.10
Low Framing
Implies responsibility to community through open-source ethos
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Site focuses on community-developed software Promotes ethical computing through open-source model Inferences
Open-source focus implies responsibility to community Community-oriented structure respects duties to others in software ecosystem -0.15
Medium Practice
No privacy statements or protections discussed
FW Ratio: 60%
Observable Facts
Page contains third-party advertising scripts from medianet Script includes customer ID tracking: '8CU7XD8P5' Page loads external JavaScript from media.net for bid exchange Inferences
Third-party advertising tracking potentially compromises user privacy Data collection for ad targeting may interfere with privacy rights ND
No content addressing life, liberty, or security of person
ND
No content addressing slavery or servitude
ND
No content addressing torture or cruel treatment
ND
No content addressing legal recognition
ND
No content addressing legal remedies
ND
No content addressing arbitrary detention
ND
No content addressing fair public hearing
ND
No content addressing presumption of innocence
ND
No content addressing asylum from persecution
ND
No content addressing nationality
ND
No content addressing marriage or family
ND
No content addressing property ownership
ND
No content addressing participation in government
ND
No content addressing rest or leisure
Structural Channel
What the site does
+0.30
Medium Advocacy Practice
Comprehensive information platform about computing systems enables informed choice and expression
+0.30
Medium Advocacy Practice
Platform enables participation in scientific/cultural life through technology access and creation
+0.20
Medium Advocacy Framing
Site provides extensive free information about Linux/BSD distributions, enabling access to computing tools
+0.20
Medium Practice
Site lists specialized distros for different user groups and accessibility needs
+0.20
Medium Advocacy Practice
Provides platform for diverse computing ideologies and philosophies
+0.15
Medium Advocacy Practice
Provides information enabling migration between operating systems
+0.15
Medium Practice
Platform supports assembly around common computing interests and projects
+0.15
Medium Advocacy Practice
Comprehensive educational platform for computing knowledge and skills
+0.10
Low Framing
Platform enables diverse user choice among computing systems without discrimination
+0.10
Low Practice
Site presents all distributions in similar format without apparent favoritism
+0.10
Low Practice
Free information platform enables economic and social development through technology access
+0.10
Low Practice
Free educational content enables skill development for employment
+0.10
Low Practice
Free educational resources contribute to digital welfare
+0.10
Low Practice
Platform contributes to digital social order respecting software freedoms
+0.10
Low Framing
Platform structure respects community norms of open-source development
+0.10
Low Advocacy
Platform supports exercise of rights without destruction of others' rights
-0.20
Medium Practice
Third-party advertising scripts (medianet, advBidxc) indicate data collection for ad targeting
ND
No security or safety features evident in page structure
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
ND
No relevant structural features
Supplementary Signals
How this content communicates, beyond directional lean.
Learn more How well-sourced and evidence-based is this content?
0.45 low claims
Sources 0.4 Evidence 0.3 Uncertainty 0.2 Purpose 0.9
No manipulative rhetoric detected
0 techniques detected
Emotional character: positive/negative, intensity, authority
measured
Valence +0.3 Arousal 0.2 Dominance 0.4
Does the content identify its author and disclose interests?
0.50
✗ Author ✓ Funding
More signals: context, framing & audience Does this content offer solutions or only describe problems?
0.88 solution oriented
Whose perspectives are represented in this content?
0.50 2 perspectives
Speaks: institution community
About: individuals community
Is this content looking backward, at the present, or forward?
present unspecified
What geographic area does this content cover?
global How accessible is this content to a general audience?
moderate medium jargon domain specific
Longitudinal
· 4 evals
+1 0 −1 HN
Audit Trail
11 entries all eval pipeline all models deepseek-v3.2 llama-4-scout-wai llama-3.3-70b-wai
newest first
2026-03-01 05:10 eval_success Evaluated: Mild positive (0.19) - - 2026-03-01 05:10
eval
Evaluated by deepseek-v3.2 : +0.19 (Mild positive) 10,842 tokens 2026-02-28 06:09 eval_success Light evaluated: Neutral (0.00) - - 2026-02-28 06:09 rater_validation_warn Light validation warnings for model llama-4-scout-wai: 0W 1R - - 2026-02-28 06:09
eval
Evaluated by llama-4-scout-wai : 0.00 (Neutral) reasoning Neutral tech news site, no rights stance
2026-02-28 06:04 eval_success Light evaluated: Neutral (0.00) - - 2026-02-28 06:04
eval
Evaluated by llama-3.3-70b-wai : 0.00 (Neutral) 0.00 2026-02-28 06:04 rater_validation_warn Light validation warnings for model llama-3.3-70b-wai: 0W 1R - - 2026-02-28 05:59 eval_success Light evaluated: Neutral (0.00) - - 2026-02-28 05:59
eval
Evaluated by llama-3.3-70b-wai : 0.00 (Neutral) 2026-02-28 05:59 rater_validation_warn Light validation warnings for model llama-3.3-70b-wai: 0W 1R - -