Draft Spec For an Open Device Initiative [LWN.net]

Draft Spec For an Open Device Initiative

Posted Oct 21, 2010 14:59 UTC (Thu) by martinfick (subscriber, #4455)
In reply to: Open Source Hardware definition by finsprings
Parent article: How not to recognize free hardware

The Open Source Hardware initiative is a very different idea than what both the author was talking about and what the FSF is proposing to endorse. I suspect that it is also well beyond what most people care about. It would be nice to have a spec that addresses what the author is suggesting, and it would be great if there were a trademark and fancy logo associated with it. Here is my first draft suggestion for the spec:

Open Device Level 0: Functionally Open

Freedom 0.0: The ability to load software on the device unimpeded.
Freedom 0.1: The ability to access all the intended device's hardware functionality via free/libre software running on the main (non auxiliary) processors. A free/libre software reference implementation must exist to do this.
Freedom 0.2: The ability to use all the device's intended functionality (except for any device communication functionality) without the device communicating with any other device. The reference software implementation must not require external activation of any sorts.

Open Device Level 1: Completely Open

Freedom 1.0: All of the freedoms of level 0
Freedom 1.1: The ability to interact with the device externally with only free/libre software. A free/libre software reference implementation must exist which implements any protocols required to communicate with the device to exercise all the freedoms of level 0. This includes loading software or accessing its functionality such as communications protocols.

Note: the likely currently precludes any cell phones from being level 1 open devices since there are no complete free/libre software stacks for cell networks (yet).

Freedom 1.2: The ability to access the entire device's intended functionality with entirely free/libre software, including all device peripherals (auxiliary processors) running only free/libre software. Free/libre software reference implementations must exist for all device peripherals.

Please, tear it apart... Anyone want to propose a logo? :)

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