== FreeCalypso and OsmocomBB == > >> Those people > >> have working GSM firmware what compiles using GCC, without blobs Their GSM firmware is leaked proprietary software.
> Michaela is bringing us examples. What Snowden did is very illigal
> too, but his information is very interesting.
That source code can indeed be used as documentation, to create a free
software replacement for it.
In fact the TI calypso modem datasheets and source code are available
on the Internet since a long time ago.
Thanks to it, we now have a free software GSM fimrware that
partially runs on such modems: The GSM layer1 runs on the modem, while
the upper layers (like the layer3) have to run on a GNU/Linux computer.
That Firmware, in its current form, has serious usability
shortcomings, as you need a computer to be on all the time to use it.
Because of that, several people worked on porting some of the supported
modems to Nuttx, in order to later port the layer3 to run on the
modems.
== FreeCalypso produced hardware ==
Since the Freecalypso project seem to be able to make hardware with
calypso modems, i guess that nothing would prevent people to port
osmocomBB on it or to continue the work to get the layer3 running on
the calypso modems.
Running free sofware on hardware that ships with or to run non-free
software is very common. Most/all[1] of smartphones supported by the
Replicant project fits in.
Running free software on hardware that ships with or to run software
violating copyright might be another story though.
I don't know the legal, or social consequences of doing that, as I
didn't research it.
The closest cases that I know don't fit here:
- Free software friendly gaming consoles communities or vendors
sometimes somehow advertising the use of emulators to run
"abandonware", that is, widely available proprietary software games,
without having the permission from the copyright owner.
Some of such gaming consoles can be used as a portable generic
purpose GNU/Linux computer, without running any proprietary software
games. If not they probably can also run only run free software games.
Using such consoles as general purpose computers seems fine to me,
especially if the device can run only free software and is well
supported in upstream projects. Doing the promotion of such use case
would probably not push people to run proprietary software games.
The OpenPandora seems to be one of such consoles, but as far as I
know, nobody tried to run Parabola on it yet. It should also be able
to work with ath9k_htc compatible wifi cards.
- Devices with AllWinner SOCs: Many of the early devices used code form
AllWinner which violated the GPL. The community made it possible not
to have to run GPL violating code. I don't know enough to gasp all
the implications of it. Still I think that we should, if we can, make
sure that AllWinner stops violating the GPL.
== FAQ ==
This is not the first time that people thinks that the Freecalypso
provides a free software or otherwise acceptable baseband source code.
we might want to make the entry generic enough to cover instead free
software for basebands.
References:
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[1] We still need to add proper support in Replicant for the GTA04.
Replicant supports for the GTA04 is highly incomplete.
Its vendor made an image based on Replicant for that device, but
the code was not fully integrated back into Replicant.
Denis.
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