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  • #21
    Originally posted by Sonadow View Post
    If Coreboot limits me from running any other operating system on a machine that is loaded with it, it is effectively depriving me of the freedom to use it for any purpose. Thus the machine that it is loaded on is not freedom-respecting hardware and by extension, Linux-exclusive hardware are not freedom-respecting hardware.
    First, that's not happening. Second, it isn't. As long as it is covered by the GPL, you are free to modify it so you can run whatever OS you want. The license doesn't imply someone else should scratch your itch for you, but that others should not stop you from doing so.

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    • #22
      Originally posted by mrugiero View Post
      First, that's not happening. Second, it isn't. As long as it is covered by the GPL, you are free to modify it so you can run whatever OS you want. The license doesn't imply someone else should scratch your itch for you, but that others should not stop you from doing so.
      That sounds great on paper until the real truth hits; most people do not know how to made source-level modifications to Coreboot. In fact, not just coreboot, but just about any FOSS software available.

      Like how Firefox (v 16 - 20) was unable to build in Mageia 2 because the distribution apparently saw it fit to break up the python package into different locations of the operating system; the fix to get it building to was add 1 chunk of code into two virtualenv.py files that hidden in, of all places, the 'other-license' folder of the Mozilla source code. Will the average user even know how hunt down these patches from Mozilla's bugzilla, much less apply them properly? No. And this is for strictly userland software. Things get much more complex as it moves down the software stack; one wrong modification to firmware-level programs and you are potentially left with a extremely large paperweight.

      Protecting code via the GPL is nice but in the end it's really a hacker-centric license, and hackers the general computing populace do not make. People are going to ask just one question: "Does it do X, Y, Z, and maybe A, B, C immediately for me?" And if the answer they are going to get is "No" or "Yes, but you need to make changes to the source code and then recompile the program and...", they are going to label it as junk, and they are perfectly justified in doing so. And unfortunately, Coreboot falls into this category. It is for this reason I eventually dropped desktop Linux after 7 years of using it in favor of Windows; I still have the flexibility of compiling my own software from source (PuTTY, Firefox and Chromium being the first 3 things I build for personal use on Windows), while having an extensive library of high quality proprietary software at my disposal to rent / purchase should the need come up.

      Also, if you take a look at Notebook Forum, you can see things like proprietary driver mods, BIOS / UEFI firmware hacks and modifications galore. And I don't believe I recall seeing anyone get sued by any organization yet for doing so over there.

      Either way, I have made my point, and do not wish to derail this topic any more. Perhaps we can continue this conversation in a more chat-friendly medium? Because it's definitely much more pleasant to have a discussion with you as opposed to some of the other people in this forum.
      Last edited by Sonadow; 19 December 2013, 11:22 PM.

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      • #23
        Better AND cheaper than my old laptop and netbook
        If I ever need a laptop I will check it

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        • #24
          Or, you can use the $200 chromebook

          Or, you can flash the older $200 Acer c710 with coreboot (seabios as the payload option available) and be happy



          This project is still kind of beta in quality, but in the coming times it will mature.

          Cheers!

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          • #25
            Originally posted by mzs_47 View Post
            Or, you can flash the older $200 Acer c710 with coreboot (seabios as the payload option available) and be happy



            This project is still kind of beta in quality, but in the coming times it will mature.

            Cheers!
            The C720 also has SeaBIOS as a Coreboot payload.

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            • #26
              Originally posted by Astronaut In Orbit View Post
              *snip*
              You know, you would be far better off criticizing someone else's supposed idolatry if you did not vehemently insist on supporting your own in the same breath. It reminds me of back when I was studying Macbeth at a Catholic school and the coursework was making fun of the fact that some people in Shakespeare's day actually believed in witches. Look who is talking...

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              • #27
                Originally posted by uwgandalf View Post
                please show michael, unless the coreboot project is way behind on their featured support pages, I'm still waiting for a last gen MoBo with coreboot support.
                We were way behind on our supported mainboards page, which is why we rebuilt it to state which boards were actually tested, instead of an outdated list of boards that theoretically work.

                A few semi-recent boards are: kontron ktqm77, asus f2a85-m, asrock e350m1, all x86-based chromebooks.
                Notebooks are unfortunately harder to support, so it's only the chromebook series for now.

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                • #28
                  Friendly reminder:

                  Don't feed the trolls.

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                  • #29
                    Someone/SomeCo makes a completely top to bottom open-source machine and people get mangulated over 'vendor-lock in', hypertheories and various other knick-knack paddy whhhhack's.

                    Just wow.

                    It's quite possibly the first retail laptop from a Tier 1 vendor that is top to bottom LIBRE software capable. You pay not a too unreasonable premium (IMO) for a fully-functional laptop* that not only runs your 'favourite operating system', but likely has support for a lot more for those who want a little bit of lock in.... And If MS don't wanna support Coreboot, that's their f-ing look out. Coreboot has enough on its plate trying to build firmwares for g00gleplex pieces of hardware let alone chase a rape'n'pillage-style company who dont want to play their ball and obviously MS-weenies are NOT the target market for this particular unit. Unless of course they want to get off that bandwagon.

                    Why people are slamming it for something that it isn't (serious, wtf's with the guy ranting about religion!?), is beyond me. Dont buy it if it's too much for you. I think Apple iPhone's are overpriced garbage. I dont get online and slam them for it. I just buy something even more expensive and far more useful from someone else! I voted for MY 'freedom' with MY wallet. And no that iPhone statement is not a paradox.

                    As for the limited hardware display specs, it is a small form factor laptop! They are not full-sized. I did quite a lot of work on my X40 before setting my 90kg's focused through my foot through the top and just barely cracking the screen (still useful). You can plug them in to base-stations as well connected to a KB, mouse, monny and network if you wanna splurge (eBay, pls). Hell, to put it out there I do quite a lot of work from my Galaxy S3! I'd love a unit like this due simply to their elongated lifecycle, where my already breaking apart Ivy-Bridge based laptop from last September is proving to be nothing more than a speedy powerhouse of pain. Haswell looks more interesting, but it's the vendor unit quality that I want, and not many people make them like IBM any more. Philip's still do I believe, but here's one for 300 bucks!

                    * In my experience, whilst the IBM-badged hardware was built FAR FAR more rugged, the Lenovo one's were far from bad, and quite performant. These X-series could cost two-grand back in the early 00's.

                    Whew, whatta rant!
                    Hi

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                    • #30
                      Originally posted by Astronaut In Orbit View Post
                      Are you aware that the Gnu is a phallic idol of Richard Stallman, and that he forbids the use of the phrase "open source", and acts like a thought-police on this in emails? And that he is indeed no proponent of freedom, and any hacker is only enslaved by his brainwashing, that even is feeble statements like "free is libre is beer is not open is".. grey and dull fantasyworld established by idolatry.

                      That is what happens to people who do not believe. They follow an idol, and it is Satan, and they are duped, having no knowledge of reality or how things really should be.

                      And a lot of them act like a pseudo-religious sect.


                      However it is not real religion.

                      A superordinate almighty concept, will establish natural behaviour, and real freedom.

                      God is almighty, and just.

                      Stallman was probably of those hackers who experimented with LSD in the time of its popularity. It seems to inspire phallic symbolism representing idolatry.

                      When he wears a tinfoil hat, many think its for fun, or cute, but it really just is the kind of bizarreness that comes with idolatry.

                      And the awful FSF song..

                      I?ve seen many people become Stooges by drug use, and this is quite similar.

                      Grow up, take responsibility as grown up persons, and as if it was code, it would have been patched out of the kernel a long time ago, for reasons of its obscurity.

                      Instead you can make a generalized version, even simple, well-understood as a beneficial arrangement: http://ovekarlsen.com/Blog/the-benef...ource-licence/

                      Research on theology here, if you want to know the background of real monotheism, that is ofcourse Beneficient, and not obscure sectarianism, which would just be more of the same. http://ovekarlsen.com/Blog/theology/

                      Peace Be With You.
                      This has got to be the most batshit crazy post anyone has ever posted on phoronix. Well done!

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