Is that too much to ask for?

The Free Software Foundation's Guix seems to be the most open-source of all distros with a desktop but it does not work with debian packages if you ever need them.

AntiX came to mind too but not sure how far they have gone with the open source part.

A desktop and a browser are essential, as are decent security and stability. Any offers?

I think Debian is pure in this sense:
The reason GNU doesn't endorse Debian is two-fold: They do maintain repos that contain non-free software (which shouldn't matter to you, since those repos are not part of Debian, and you could still use those non-free repos if your distro allows installing Debian packages) and
which is also moot, since you are not forced to install them or even tricked into installing them.

Devuan should not be worse than that.

So I would say, the answer is "Debian or Devuan". If you disagree, you should clarify what you mean by "100% pure".

1 members found this post helpful.

Surely there is more to libre distros than not inviting or tricking the user into installing non-free programs.

OK. What?

At least GNU thinks that these are the only obstacles. I can't imagine anything more radically free than RMS's recommendations.

You want a 100% pure open-source distro that allows installing Debian packages, some of which invite users to non-free programs. Do you detect a contradiction?

I stand by my recommendation to use Debian, or Devuan if systemd is not pure enough.

@OP, why not go directly to the source? https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.en.html

#1 what you want sounds like Debian with the non-free repos excluded. Exactly the default install, if I recall correctly.

#2 why not search on distrowatch for your options. It has nearly every distribution that exists.

Check out the 3rd recommendation at the end of this post for examples of closed-source features. What does devuan do about them?

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0/#post6059724

There is also libreboot below, not sure if there is any distro that helps automate its installation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libreboot

There is also gnu's icecat to replace firefox in certain libre distros, an example of my perception why libre is not just about not recommending non-free software. Icecat not only bans installation of non-free extensions and plugins but also adds some privacy/security features.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Ic...urity_features

There is indeed a contradiction. Except that this is not for one computer but dozens of VM's. Different uses and respective packages in each. If one VM needs a debian package that spies on you, let it be contained in that one VM and not reach the others.

What about Richard Stallman's choice, Trisquel? All-free, based on Ubuntu...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisquel

The end of Trisquel as we know it

"It is certain that Trisquel will not be able to continue on as a Ubuntu based OS. And since gnewsense will be based on Debian, there is no sense on continuing Trisquel on Debian as well. [...] Trisquel could rebase Trisquel 10 on Devuan or perhaps VOID Linux, which would also get rid of System D."

NOT too much to ask, and easy enough to create or find. You only have to select your hardware carefully to ensure that you need none of the proprietary modules or applications because those will be missing. No Broadcom. Performance may suffer due to CPU specific support, but it will still work. So step one is to carefully assemble hardware that support FOSS only OS and drivers.

(And really, if you are not willing to do that why are you sweating the software!)

Yup and if you continue reading, it turns out the guy is just speculating...