The Ageless Linux distribution has been released to address laws mandating the inclusion of age verification APIs in operating systems. Ageless Linux is marketed as a distribution for individuals with unknown ages and fundamentally does not adhere to age verification regulations. One of its key features is a stub implementing an API for age verification that consistently returns an undefined age.
To install Ageless Linux, users can utilize a script called become-ageless.sh, which facilitates the conversion of an existing Debian GNU/Linux system into Ageless Linux. This script modifies the /etc/os-release file to include details indicating non-compliance with age verification laws, creates the /etc/ageless/ directory for tracking violations, and installs a dummy API for applications to access user age information. The API script generates an error message stating “ERROR: Age data not available” for all requests, indicating that all users have an undetermined age.
As age verification components become more prevalent in distributions, the script is expected to evolve to include tools for removing or disabling such mechanisms in different operating systems. For instance, if the D-Bus interface “org.freedesktop.AgeVerification1” is introduced in Fedora Linux, the script will be adjusted to eliminate or substitute the handler responsible for this interface. Similarly, prompts for age verification in the Ubuntu installer will be suppressed, and modifications will be made to the AccountsService in Debian if age reporting is incorporated.
While laws concerning age verification do not explicitly prohibit the distribution of operating systems without such verification, they do penalize vendors involved in the creation, licensing, or installation of non-compliant systems. By running the Ageless Linux script, users effectively become the providers of the operating system and assume responsibility for any minors using the system without age verification. The project emphasizes that no harm is caused to children in these scenarios, only to individuals whose age is unknown.
The project also intends to continue developing tools and resources to support the use of Ageless Linux and counteract age verification requirements in different distributions.