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diff --git a/zarb-ml/mageia-dev/2012-July/017495.html b/zarb-ml/mageia-dev/2012-July/017495.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..97cb4b2d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/zarb-ml/mageia-dev/2012-July/017495.html @@ -0,0 +1,122 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> +<HTML> + <HEAD> + <TITLE> [Mageia-dev] free software purity question + </TITLE> + <LINK REL="Index" HREF="index.html" > + <LINK REL="made" HREF="mailto:mageia-dev%40mageia.org?Subject=Re%3A%20%5BMageia-dev%5D%20free%20software%20purity%20question&In-Reply-To=%3C50081A58.9030100%40roadrunner.com%3E"> + <META NAME="robots" CONTENT="index,nofollow"> + <META http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> + <LINK REL="Previous" HREF="017489.html"> + <LINK REL="Next" HREF="017499.html"> + </HEAD> + <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> + <H1>[Mageia-dev] free software purity question</H1> + <B>Frank Griffin</B> + <A HREF="mailto:mageia-dev%40mageia.org?Subject=Re%3A%20%5BMageia-dev%5D%20free%20software%20purity%20question&In-Reply-To=%3C50081A58.9030100%40roadrunner.com%3E" + TITLE="[Mageia-dev] free software purity question">ftg at roadrunner.com + </A><BR> + <I>Thu Jul 19 16:31:52 CEST 2012</I> + <P><UL> + <LI>Previous message: <A HREF="017489.html">[Mageia-dev] free software purity question +</A></li> + <LI>Next message: <A HREF="017499.html">[Mageia-dev] free software purity question +</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#17495">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#17495">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#17495">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#17495">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> + <HR> +<!--beginarticle--> +<PRE>On 07/19/2012 09:19 AM, Johnny A. Solbu wrote: +><i> Because it is the same issiue. I treat firmwares the same as I treat +</I>><i> any other software. if a device can't work without installing a +</I>><i> package contaning non-free firmware, I'm not using it. In order to use +</I>><i> it I might need to install a non-free software package (rpm, deb, +</I>><i> tarball). How is that any different than a driver? Both have to be +</I>><i> installed by the user. (yes, yes, the default might be to have them +</I>><i> preinstalled in some distros, that is not the issiue.) +</I> +All of this (including the OP) is really a group of artificial +distinctions. All CPUs contain microcode or some programming +equivalent, even going back to the days of gates wired in series. You +may get a Principles of Operation manual that tells you what the +instructions (are supposed to) do in detail, but that's not the same as +seeing the "source" (microcode or wiring) that makes it happen, and it +certainly doesn't allow you to change it at will. + +Free Software is about not removing your ability to examine and modify +things you can reasonably be expected to have the skills and equipment +to examine and modify. Most of us don't have the ability to manufacture +our own disk controllers or interrupt controllers. Yet both of those +contain closed-source custom programming, and nobody seems to think +twice about using them in FS environments. + +Personally, I think that the reasonable lower limit on "free" +expectations is the ability to burn your own BIOS ROMs if you wish to. +As far as hardware devices that are built with custom programming, I +don't see any distinction between wired logic, immutable ROMs, or +flashable/loadable firmware. Those are all just aspects of how the +manufacturer supports the device (assuming he does). Loadable firmware +may make it simpler for the manufacturer to supply updates and easier +for you to get fixes, but it's no more closed than wired logic is. + +In economic terms, what you seem to be asking for is absolute +unbundling, where every manufacturer is limited to making one and only +one thing and relying on multiple competing outside suppliers for other +components with open standards in force at each juncture. + +That works best when "commons" are involved, e. g. infrastructure that +can only have one owner, just as the fiber optic cable in a town or the +POTS copper cable. In those cases, whoever granted the monopoly +(usually local government) can classify the resource as a public utility +and require the owner to rent its capacity to anyone who has the price. +This is what happened years back in the U.S. with telephone service and +dial-up ISPs, where the phone companies were told they couldn't refuse +to carry data traffic for independent ISPs at competitive rates. + +Unfortunately, the farther down you drill with this, the greater the +negative impact on innovation. If I design a graphic card and I'm not +allowed to bring it to market until I can convince one or more +independent software development companies to do the programming with an +open, documented interface, I may not be able to financially survive the +delay. Theoretically, if the market wants me to document the interface +so that others can compete with me on the firmware, it will punish me if +I don't. But in the meantime, I have the opportunity to make early +profits that will allow me to cover the overhead of doing that later on. + +In short, I think you'll find that entusiasm for the Free Software +concept in the marketplace will dwindle severely as you try to take it +further and further down to the level of electrons. Most people will +weigh the inconvenience against the probability that they or anyone +acting on their behalf will ever exploit that freedom. + +</PRE> + + + + + +<!--endarticle--> + <HR> + <P><UL> + <!--threads--> + <LI>Previous message: <A HREF="017489.html">[Mageia-dev] free software purity question +</A></li> + <LI>Next message: <A HREF="017499.html">[Mageia-dev] free software purity question +</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#17495">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#17495">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#17495">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#17495">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> + +<hr> +<a href="https://www.mageia.org/mailman/listinfo/mageia-dev">More information about the Mageia-dev +mailing list</a><br> +</body></html> |