>> Hardware for which the community is not privy to the specs, etc. >> Similar to non-free software for which the community is not privy to >> the code or non-free formats in which the community is not privy to >> the documentation. > > With software, there are four freedoms: run, modify, study and copy.
What about the freedom to build upon or incorporate into another program? Is that under "modify"? The freedom to redistribute in any way? Is that under "copy" somehow? > I don't think anyone has determined the requirements for hardware yet. "anyone"? Are we supposed to wait for someone to make a list and then blindly trust them? I think the "run" (or "use") requirement is still valid with hardware. As is modify and study. "Copy" may be less literal, but the right to build an identical device should be present. Likely others. > Certainly, having hardware that is well supported by free drivers and > free operating systems is important, so I would recommend computers > that work well with gNewSense, for example. Yes, but this is more a hardware-works-with-software issue than a free hardware issue. > The next stage will be a free BIOS, which is already supported by some > motherboards. This is basically software. > Access to source code is only a side-effect of free software. This is > one reason why the name "Open Source" is misleading. True. Open source is about freedom for programmers and such. It is much broader than the narrow definition often used for "free software" -- Stephen Paul Weber, @singpolyma Please see <http://singpolyma.net> for how I prefer to be contacted. _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
