this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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You guys are asking the wrong questions.
How is Linux going to do this? There's no server for the os to send the information to report the age of its users, no way of forcing its user base to comply and no single person or entity to fine, arrest or otherwise force into compliance.
They made a law they cannot enforce.
What if banning Linux is part of the Agenda? And what will they do for the servers? I am declaring my pc a server as of right now...
How do you want to do this? Linux is a kernel the world relies on. It powers your car, your fridge, your satellite, your phone, the entire Internet, the army, etc. Nothing comes close to Linux in market share. The distros are built upon the kernel. System76 may have to comply, but the other maintainers don't give a flying fuck. They could even write a small line somewhere on their repo that says "this distro is not allowed in California" and call it a day.
I wonder if that "this distro is not allowed in California" approach is even compatible with the various free software licenses.
Terms of Use / Terms of Service are different from Licenses. That said, even if it was compatible that would be a good thing, as the impression I've got is that the "hard-liner" Free Software licenses are becoming a thing of the past now that what is needed is "Ethical Source" licenses, that eg.: restrict usage in AI.