Re: [LUG] Single-board computers and software freedom

On 24 May 2013 12:49, <lug@xxxxxx> wrote:

>https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/single-board-computers-and-software-freedom
>
>For the avoidance of doubt, I feel the need to state publicly that I
>am proud to be a freetard, and I regard this list as our natural
>territory. I wear the supposed slur as a badge of honor.
>
>After all, what is it we're being criticized for? Being intelligent?
>Being principled? Being free?
>
>And what's the alternative that's held up as more admirable, anyway?
>Submissive-masochist-gullible-conformist-unthinking-colluder?
>
>Join us, proud geeks! We're going to win. You can be part of the team.
>

I sometimes wonder if Richard Stallman is the only person in the world
actually using hardware that is running free software all the way down
the chain? I like using open source software (and choose it when there
is a choice) but life is too short to worry about whether source code is
available for every chip on every bit of hardware I might use.

On the subject of SBC's, I received my Beaglebone Black this week.
Pretty impressed so far, subjective performance seems well up on the
Pi. From what I have read the build quality seems a bit mixed but my
one works okay so far (fingers crossed).

Kevin

What kinda bugs me about the RMS approach is:

+ If the device requires a "firmware" to be loaded in order to be usable, this bit of software must be Free Software

+ If the device has software already built-in (such as, say, the code loaded onto a PIC) and it does not need to be loaded by the user or their operating system in order to be usable, then it doesn't matter if said code is Free Software.

Wait a minute... it's potentially the same damn thing! Potentially the only difference is whether the code is already within the device or whether it has to be given to it.

Grant.