this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2026
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Or just use a sensible OS that you control.
Lol, thinking this won't come for the Linux kernel is laughably naive.
a number of distros have said they will never capitulate. Zorin, for example.
Thinking that the free open-source software (FOSS) community will not find a way to work around whatever comes their way is the pure essence of ignorance. Remember when crypto was export restricted? Yeah, it got exported no problem. Only FOSS users had strong crypto outside the US.
If they try to repeat this with age restrictions, well, I use Gentoo and will probably be able to just put in a number which the OS then reports to whoever asks. Aren't we all born on 1970-01-01?
Thinking that the FOSS community can't get locked out of all modern (next gen) AMD/Intel class processors is naive.
Most servers and half the phones run Linux. Linux will not be locked out by any CPU maker. It would be suicide to do so.
How long do you think it would take for "special industrial licenses" to be required to get "Linux accessible" CPUs?
Actually, I expect that to not happen at all. Jurisdictions in the US already started to exempt FOSS OSes from age restriction stuff.
But if they actually try... look at how well prohibitions worked in the past - even when the prohibited thing was legitimately harmful and outlawing it made actual sense. When there is demand there will be supply. You can still get the absolutely worst drugs in the US. Surely it would be easier to get unlocked CPUs into that country than deadly drugs.
And if it really became impossible to get western CPUs that can run Linux inside the US... I could still just switch to Chinese hardware because like most people I luckily am outside the US. China is catching up.
I don't think it's coming, but if they really do "go there" what it will look like is: extreme tariffs on "open" processors, $1000 for a Raspberry Pi where you can get a new Intel Core NUC class system for $500. And, IMO, it would be worth the premium for the freedom of operation, but, then, you've also painted a target on your forehead by being one of "those nutjobs" who are willing to pay so much more for something that "only criminals need."
I will say: the US is more likely to take away our right to free computing before they take away our right to privately own firearms.
Buying new ultra-low-performance hardware makes no sense even in that scenario. PCs can last decades. People in the US would just hoard used components. And piracy still exists even though there was real effort to end it. So I guess the jailbreaking/right-to-repair community would eventually get around the limitations.
There are plenty of examples where the absolutely strictest regimes tried to restrict their citizens' access to foreign goods. And black markets always won.
The firearm situation is a bit exceptional though. Being armed might make resistance a bit more viable once a large percentage of the population stops fighting each other over whether futanari are men or women.
Thinking that any modern CPU vendor would lock out Linux is not naive, it's the demonstration of pure ignorance and utter lack of knowledge in the world of technology.