> "When the firmware is freely redistributable, it's also included in the kernel source tree. Nothing more, nothing less. It's up to you to decide what to do with it - you can easily look up all the needed info and…
> "And even if it doesn't, because the most important parts of that non-free firmware are already sealed in memory on the card, it's no different from, let's take the easier example, any HDD out there." On the contrary,…
I don't think it's counterproductive at all and we actually agree in a sense. In a sense, opaque blobs are the default license category. Moving past that, if we can acknowledge that unambiguously (positively-stated)…
(I'm saddened that you can't imagine ever needing to load FPGA, NAND, or VRAM "firmware" to boot a GPU.) > "the only sensible approach to differentiate between free and non-free firmwares is to ask a question 'is it…
Choice, like mutation and sexual reproduction, accelerates evolution. More options means better options over less time.
While it is naive to imply closed blobs could ever fully or easily be replaced, it is also naive to blame the kernel user for having bought the hardware. For add-on cards, sure, but the line is not always that clear.…
> "When the firmware is freely redistributable, it's also included in the kernel source tree. Nothing more, nothing less. It's up to you to decide what to do with it - you can easily look up all the needed info and…
> "And even if it doesn't, because the most important parts of that non-free firmware are already sealed in memory on the card, it's no different from, let's take the easier example, any HDD out there." On the contrary,…
I don't think it's counterproductive at all and we actually agree in a sense. In a sense, opaque blobs are the default license category. Moving past that, if we can acknowledge that unambiguously (positively-stated)…
(I'm saddened that you can't imagine ever needing to load FPGA, NAND, or VRAM "firmware" to boot a GPU.) > "the only sensible approach to differentiate between free and non-free firmwares is to ask a question 'is it…
Choice, like mutation and sexual reproduction, accelerates evolution. More options means better options over less time.
While it is naive to imply closed blobs could ever fully or easily be replaced, it is also naive to blame the kernel user for having bought the hardware. For add-on cards, sure, but the line is not always that clear.…