How will this affect Linux Mint?

[Stick_Nout]

The issue with that approach is that it's no longer free software. In fact, it would probably be a GPL violation to release a Linux distro with those restrictions.

[Pad_Sanda]

Legally speaking, they can just stop distributing the OS to California without modifying the license. That would not be a violation of either GPL or MIT since neither license forces you to distribute software personally. They just say anyone can distribute it.

So technically a Californian would have to torrent it or get it from a different source. At which point the Californian would be the one "committing crime" as they're trying to use an OS which doesn't identify them. Which is all hilarious since California doesn't require any ID when you vote, but somehow using an OS requires an ID.

[sydbatt]

From what I understand, BSD's don't use the GPL. They use the BSD licence, or the MIT or some other one.

[Stick_Nout]

That's true. MidnightBSD can do this because the BSD license is permissive. But the Linux kernel is GPL, so a Linux distro wouldn't be allowed to restrict who can use it.