cross-posted from: lemmy.ca/post/65292654
For those interested on the question of age verification and GNU/Linux: be aware that Systemd v261-rc1 was recently released. It now implements an optional
birth datefield in the JSON user database (see second item under “Other changes”).The implementation of this field was prompted by age-verification or -attestation laws.
30p87@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
And 64 years ago, GECOS was released, with a dedicated field for a users real name, location, phone number and email. That was implemented in UNIX shortly after, as a field in /etc/passwd, which means all Linux distros and other UNIX-like OS’s like MacOS have and had fields for all of that forever. So if you don’t want the option to store personal information in your OS, use TempleOS.
atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Ah but this is systemd! Your logic and reasoning does not apply here. People just love to look for things to hate about it.
30p87@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
I can only hope that people will someday realize that systemd did nothing more than add a userdb field, symmetric to other, similar, userdb fields, while the distro installers are the components that actually decide wherever you need to enter your data, and more importantly, if that includes an actual verification of that data.