gNewSense makes sense [LWN.net]

gNewSense makes sense

Posted Feb 3, 2007 17:46 UTC (Sat) by mikov (subscriber, #33179)
In reply to: gNewSense makes sense by jstAusr
Parent article: gNewSense makes sense

What are your assumptions about firmware ?

You do realize that the same firmware that you are afraid of could equally well be embedded in the hardware device itself (at increased cost). Problem solved - it is no longer distributed with the kernel. I presume that you would be OK with that. Why is the same firmware acceptable when it is stored in the device, but not acceptable when it is dynamically uploaded to the device ?

I personally find the whole sourceless firmware issue completely ridiculous.

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gNewSense makes sense

Posted Feb 4, 2007 6:20 UTC (Sun) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link]

Why is the same firmware acceptable when it is stored in the device, but not acceptable when it is dynamically uploaded to the device ?

Because later case involves copying of copyrighted material by somebody other than the copyright holder, and therefore is regulated by copyright laws.

gNewSense makes sense

Posted Feb 4, 2007 20:28 UTC (Sun) by mikov (subscriber, #33179) [Link]

I am sorry but that is really very unconvincing. How does it change the end result, except that in one case the hardware is more expensive and more difficult to maintain ?

Case A: The firmware is in EPROM/FLASH. The product works but is $15 more expensive and firmware bugs are somewhat more difficult to fix. The users, the kernel developers, the world, couldn't care less about the firmware since it is practically unaccessible to them, so they happily use the product.

Case B: The firmware is a binary blob, which the copyright holder has given permission to distribute unmodified. The product works. Again, the users and the kernel developers don't care about the firmware because it is practically inaccessible to them.

I can't imagine any reason, be it legal, technical or otherwse, why Case A is preferable. I would be embarrassed to explain to any of my not-so-technical friends that the free software community is wasting time with such nonsense. Ideology loses credibility when it is used to fight a meaningless cause, especially when there are plenty of _real_ causes worth fighting for.

gNewSense makes sense

Posted Feb 14, 2007 2:48 UTC (Wed) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link]

We are talking about a distribution here, and my answer was not about the "end result". A distribution may have problems distributing non-free firmware, or it may be against its policy to distribute anything that doesn't qualify as free software.