Free Software Foundation Endorses Its First Laptop

[Sonadow]

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.

[mrugiero]

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.

[Sonadow]

says you on a Linux-centric forum. what a fucking tragedy !
and how exactly is it any worse than the usual "Windows or GTFO" attitude ? Linux-only devices would be a sign of long due respect, if nothing else.

it's time for hacky firmware bullshit to go.p7

So that's the whole aim isn't it? Linux-exclusive hardware.

If that's what Linux users want, then they better have the balls to admit that 'freedom' was never their goal, and exclusivity is. Lest they forget what is the real meaning of freedom as defined by their own idol Stallman:

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).

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.

"Gluglug"

Gulag?

[MartinN]

T440?

I've a T440 - if they can outfit it with CoreBoot, I might even pay them. Otherwise, this is a non-starter for me, and I'd guess most people.

[zanny]

Pipe dream, but while the software and architecture is open, the chipset, ISA, and physical specs of the various boards and components are still patent encumbered and trademark restricted.

It is sad that it seems so ridiculously impossible, but I'd like to not only be handed hardware and said "here is how it works, don't modify or reproduce it or we will sueeee youuuuuu. For example, sparc without branding is open tech, so you could extend it or re-implement it in your own silicon without benig beholden to a national information estriction policy.

[uwgandalf]

There's also many newer Intel and AMD motherboards that are Coreboot-compatible

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.

[Astronaut In Orbit]

FSF

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.

[brosis]

~$500 for a 7 year old laptop with 1024x768 resolution?
the price of freedom is too high.

Its below 300$, check eyes please.

[brosis]

I wonder how you come to _that_ conclusion. The OP didn't state that windows 8 doesn't work, but that they didn't test it. I did, and I'd expect any vendor intending to support Windows to do so, too.

Because he is a pro-microsoft idiot-troll, who spends own wothless life here to promote windows, derail threads and offend anything *linux.
If you need proof, look what he already done to this thread.