another librem computer crowdfunding
https://www.crowdsupply.com/purism/librem-13
This time I also think they are walking the line of marketing on purpose.
A lot of writing about free software. It says “AMD includes an AGESA binary into the BIOS, Intel includes an FSP binary into the BIOS (Purism is working to have that binary freed).” which means, that the computer is not entirely free software. It will not be able to get fsf approval.
Again they write that they are “working to have that binary freed”. Reverse engineering appears not to be their choice. Instead librem will get the hardware manufacturer to make the software open source. They did not get it for the librem 15, why should they get it for the 13? According to think penguin, who should know about this subject, they will not get the source code. Librem states, that many buyers will increase pressure on fx intel to make the software open source. Who believes they will sell that many computers?
I acknowledge that librem mentions the hdd firmware issue. To their benefit, because even more people probably do not know about that problem.
My question would be, why can gluglug get fsf approval? Their computer also uses flashable hdds?
Great to see how Purism is expanding. People are expanding their view off freedom and starting to take a stand. Starts to see the difference between the compromising view of open source thinking to freedom thinking of free software. I think Purism is trying to make the best that is possible right now and also pointing out that Intel is blocking. Purisms work and their laptops points out a line what freedom is on a complete package from hardware to software in a complete package. It reminds me of Apples complete package of hardware and software.
Off topic rant....
Intel will probably never release the source code that Librem is after because Intel is a global companies and they will not give their users total freedom. Same as HP, according to Linux Action Show, HP works a lot with open source internal in the company and have released open sourced drivers that makes most of their printers work with Trisquel but they do not release the firmware in their printers. The printer have the yellow dot spy features. I called HP and their support said that all their printers, example Officejet 8620 Pro, have this feature and they have no plan in the next three years to release a printer without this feature that no one want to have. As we can see how routers have exploded with release of source code of router WRT54L, why cant any company try the same with a printer?
They will only give us a little bit more freedom in this "democratic" world but never so much that we can live without what the offer/force us to use, and never give us so much freedom that they cant spy or control us. They are afraid and must control their farm animals because they live on us like a parasite. They are depended on us to live in a (mind) prison they control. (Talking about the highest people not the employee who is "just doing their job")
On topic again.
Librem can still get the binary freed for the Librem 15 even after the laptop has been released.
If their reasoning that more users of will pressure Intel to release the code. Why are Intel now going to close parts of the code, if my memory is correct, to Skylake integrated graphics when free software is now bigger then ever and more or less only using Intel graphics?
My comments about Librem 13.
+
Hardware switch to disable wireless, webcam and mic. I hope their is two, one for wireless and one for webcam+mic.
HDMI 2.0 (Not 1.2)
Good battery life
Low noise fan
M.2 and 7mm harddrive - A surprise for me. Looks so thin.
RJ45 port
A lot of keyboards to choose from
Support 16GB ram
-
16x9 screen
HDMI - I prefer DP
Power and RJ45 on separate sides.
If it was made with 16x10 screen their would be more space for real volume buttons instead of using the Fn button.
At the laptops specifications it says it has tree USB 3.0 ports but in the comparison with the 15" inch it says it have two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0. What is correct?
One thing that Librem CAN actually do is pay for a reverse engineering company to decode the blobs, and then write software for it.
Doesn't this rise legal issues?
I don't think so, I mean, there are a few volunteer projects that reverse engineer drivers, like nouveau or lima.
I wrote purism. I asked them if the non free software can be reverse engineered?
They wrote they are on it and money is part of it. I asked if they would do a crowdfunding about the reverse engineering? They did not answer.
I suggested that they also sell the mainboard separately. They said it could happen later on.
It should be coordinated much broader. Fsf, eff, debian, ubuntu, linux, pc world, wired, etc.
Appelbaum wrote in a tweet, that he is joining purism.