2026-08-26 / Signal #2
Debian is holding an eight-way vote on whether Linux should be written by humans
“One of the options on the ballot is: Debian is created by humans.”
The Story
Debian developers are mid-ballot on a 5,000-word General Resolution with eight options, from a Social Contract ban on any LLM-assisted contribution to “let them loose,” plus a climate-dealbreaker option. One proposal is literally titled “Debian is created by humans.” Gentoo and NetBSD already banned AI code; Linus has told kernel AI-haters to fork off. Under 350 ballots in as of the Register piece.
Why It Matters
The most principled OS on earth is trying to decide, in public, whether a human guild still exists. This is builder identity as ritual, not a benchmark recap.
Evidence
The Register (26 Aug); official Debian GR page. Voting extended through 28 Aug.
Sources
Daily scan: 2026-08-26