[Solar-general] Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Freedom issues with non-free firmware in external files

Sab Ago 15 03:42:39 CEST 2009

On Friday 14 August 2009 17:43:25 Rubén Rodríguez Pérez wrote:
> El vie, 14-08-2009 a las 16:46 -0300, Diego Saravia escribió:
> > >> or only print info about what is missing?
> > >
> > > The vanilla kernel prints an error about the missing files if the
> > > request fails. For the case of non-free blobs, linux-libre now prints
> > > a /*DEBLOBBED*/ message, and the files are not actually requested.
> >
> > Ututo now also prints a special message.
>
> Nice. What does it say?
>
> > > If a driver needs a non-free firmware file to work, removing it renders
> > > the driver useless, so you can remove it. Having non working drivers
> > > looks pointless to me, and can -maybe in a subtle way- cause harm.
> >
> > could you tell us about this subtle harm?
>
> E.g. someone can tell your users how to make the driver work, by
> recommending to use the non-free file,

or someone can tell the users how to make the driver work, by hacking a 
firmware

so bringing the GPL part of the driver will enable cooperation, colaboration, 
sharing knowledge, good things :D

> thus harming their freedom. It's 
> not you who is causing the harm, but the one who recommends the file.
> But if the driver is removed, you are not even allowing that to happen.

So u have to remove all the software that can someone can tell your users that 
they can install non-free software along with that free software.
Sorry, but it's ridiculous to me.

We "must" develop a creative community, expressing the freedom and the joy of 
being free, not a repressive conception of the way the software must be 
developed.

Creativeness is an outcome of the freedom itself.

To enforce the users not to be able to know if their hardware could work if 
some people (maybe they) hack a firmware is not the good way to me.

We can create, we are living people, not robots accepting orders from the 
developers.

Users are developers.

Sorry, but your vision, in this point, is too elitist.

Developers are not superior to users.

> > > Linux-libre now prints
> > > a /*DEBLOBBED*/ message, and the files are not actually requested.

Well, it could print a /*help us to develop a free firmware to this hardware 
xxxxxxxx */

(anyone can help bringing money, hardware, etc, to developers, etc)

Regards
-- 
Marcos Guglielmetti
Usuario de Musix GNU+Linux
www.musix.org.ar