* Jacob Hrbek <[email protected]> [2022-01-26 22:18]: > > If you can come up with a good definition of "free hardware", I might join > in using it. -- RMS > > I don't see too many differences in comparison to free software so i would > use:
Seeing differences or making distinctions is intelligent approach, not seeing differences is the opposite. Let us see differences. We are in the discussion because we want to point out differences, find the differences and act or not act upon it. Example: A child who knows what is blindworm may take it from ground and put in his pocket or otherwise play with it. An adult who does not know what is blindworm may kill it by thinking it is a snake. Child could be as well get abused by such adult who does not know differences. > The Free Hardware is hardware that respects four essential freedoms: Personally, I have got problems with software because when I was not allowed to freely copy it to friends. I felt always unfair as that is what I was doing and what I used to do. And I did feel constrained in my freedom. With hardware I had personally never problem because hardware never had any copyrights attached preventing me to give hardware to my friends. I could give it to them, ask them to come to play on computer with me. Thus I cannot see how those "four essential freedom" that relate to free software also relate to hardware. > - Freedom 0: The freedom the use the hardware for any purpose Did anybody prevent you to use hardware for any purpose? If there is no problem in the first place, your solution to apply freedom zero to hardware is not a solution at all, because there was no problem to solve. > - Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the hardware works and change it to > make it do what you wish (access to all relevant files used to build the > hardware such as, but not limited to schematics, gerber files, verilog, bios > source code, bootloader source code and firmware source code is precondition > for this) Are you talking there about hardware or software? As you mentioned only software, why is then "hardware" mixed there? You wanted to say you want to study how hardware works, but then you speak of all the software in the hardware. Apply those freedoms to software in the hardware. > - Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute and make copies so that you can > help your neighbour. Whatever hardware you buy, or otherwise acquire legally you are also free to redistribute to anybody. You can also become an official distributor. Joking. But I do get your point. However, I don't think that we talk of "hardware", we do talk of the free hardware design here. Such design would be in some CAD file or other types of files. I have made my own design of a mining machine and have given it to key people and they are free to manufacture the machine because they got the design as CAD file with the free license. Similar is with the computer hardware. You have to be distinctive when expressing your plan. Otherwise hardware manufacturers will think you are against them. If somebody is maybe producing keyboards and selling them, and they have some special new features and patent for 20 years to benefit from the invention, then some guys come around and claim that they want "free hardware" -- that could as well mean you want to rob the magazine to get the free hardware. If they say they want to "distribute it freely" that would mean that after the robbery they will give it to their neighbors. Thus you have to make distinction what you need and want to communicate as clear as possible. Hardware design is not touchable, it is maybe on paper or in the computer file. Is that what you want to distribute freely? You can make new hardware based on that design. Hardware is touchable, that is keyboard, computer, hard disk, etc. But you can't claim you want it for free as that is somebody's physical property. > - Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the hardware That is maybe a problem, but I think you have to re-define, and find if there are some constraints to freedom, and remove that what is not the issue, and use that what is the issue. You should give examples that we can see where, who, how, prevented you the freedom to improve your hardware. That may be related to the "Right to repair". > release your improvements (and modified versions in general) to the > public, so that the whole community benefits. I think nobody prevents you doing that anyway. Even if manufacturer asks you to repair the hardware and no third party, you still have the right to repair it yourself, your hardware is yours, is anybody preventing you to improve it? > And we with exception of openmoko (R.I.P.) and with the greatest respect we > would have free hardware smartphones if you and FSF didn't enable Purism and > PINE64 to profit off of your endorsements, advertise themselves as "Free and > Open-Source" on proprietary hardware and get away with lieing about > releasing the hardware files (alleged purism, > https://git.dotya.ml/kreyren/kreyren/issues/13) or maintain a proprietary > model on GPLv3-compatible CPU like raptorcs is doing with Talos II next to > the RYF certification. I see those "accusations" as like coming from an inexperienced person. FSF endorsed free software distribution is PureOS. Who made the distribution is for FSF irrelevant. Important is that it is fully free software. You promote freedom zero, right? You say that you vouch for free software to be used for whatever purpose one wants and wish? So stick to it. If somebody wish to use free software to profit out of it, stick to it. Advertising "free and open-source" is not related to FSF neither GNU. Any company may advertise how they wish and want. It is not even a trademark related to FSF. Regarding FSF's endorsement of Librem, please see why: https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v10/ 1) Instead of Android or iOS, the Librem 5 runs the PureOS distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system. The FSF has carefully vetted PureOS's commitment to user freedom with our guidelines for fully free systems. 2) Comes equipped with physical killswitches for the microphone, GPS, and Wi-Fi connections, making snitching on your whereabouts a physical impossibility. 3) Please note that the secondary processor (or "baseband") on the device still contains nonfree software. To preserve your freedom and privacy, be sure to flip the killswitch after placing a call or sending a text. So it is all about free software and privacy, user having the control. FSF did not endorse it for reasons of being "free hardware", but for reasons of user having control over software in that hardware. Distinguish. Don't identify. Don't consider to be equal or the same. > which i doubt would be possible if FSF adapted hardware freedom. FSF means "Free Software Foundation". > So from my point of view FSF is an authority on user freedom and > these actions sabotage the free hardware. And from my point of view the above sentence is not in the context of free software. > Heavy promotion of Purism Librem 14 (proprietary hardware shipped > with spyware) using ethical giving guides, numerous endorsements, > etc.. Is there any reference to spyware in Librem 14? Jean Take action in Free Software Foundation campaigns: https://www.fsf.org/campaigns In support of Richard M. Stallman https://stallmansupport.org/ _______________________________________________ libreplanet-discuss mailing list [email protected] https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss
