Libre software, and the hardware ?
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Hi,
I'm new on this forum. I discovered Trisquel through FSF and I was very glad of this discover. First I want to congratulate the developers of this OS. We seem to forget today the meaning of GNU/Linux.
Now, I will explain you my interrogation that could seem awkward...
I must acquire a new laptop, and I want to use free software on it. Ok... But I think that the philosophy of free software ("la philosophie du libre", like we could say in french) is confronted to a problem... The hardware...
On which kind of hardware (for example a laptop) would this philosophy must be applied ?
In my opinion, it perverts the "philosophie du libre" to use GNU/Linux on laptops which are produced in dreadful social conditions in Asia (e.g. for Apple Inc. with foxconn), without respect of nature, and of course without respect of freedom (in the sense of FSF).
An ideal would be an "open-source hardware" in fair trade...
I know that someone like R. Stallman uses a lemote yeelong, for the free bios and the compatibility with free software.
But I think it's not enough. It's still a laptop which is produced not in very fair conditions.
In my opinion, this philosophy could be perverted if we use a libre GNU/Linux distribution on a laptop which is produced against some ethic, environmental and free software values(not all the values, it should be too idealistic... just some).
I put the accent more on social conditions of production and environmental protection (to illustrate what i'm saying http://chinalaborwatch.org/pro/proshow-149.html for the social conditions and for the environment http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/)
So, does a kind of laptop which respects all of these values exist ? For example, a laptop produced by a small business in good conditions, for example in Europe ?
I know that it is a little bit idealistic, I'm a aware of the importance of the asian manufacturers and that in a laptop there are a lot of components so a lot of manufacturers (the CPU manufacturer in a country and the harddrive in an other country, etc.).
We can't just be proud of our freedom when it's based on the oppression of freedom in other countries (or even in our country).
To sum up this long and unclear development...
Fair trade and laptop, is it possible ?
Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you. However, I would also like to have access to the hardware you describe when I purchase my next laptop and am also curious to know if it already exists.
Someone asked a similar question in a freedombox (a small plug computer running free software) discussion. I believe this is the video (The question starts at the end in the question/answer segment. It provides as psuedo answer to your question. Unfortunately, I don't know of a good answer.
More then likely you will have a hard time finding a new laptop that meet the conditions you ask for. In that case I think the best thing for you would be trying to find some sort of used laptop. That way you are not contributing to the production of new goods. Here are a couple examples:
1) Buy from a business that is maybe going out of business and selling all their goods. 2) Find someone who bought a new computer and is selling their old one. 3) Check an electronics recycling place. My local one sells refurbished laptops.
This way at least your money wouldn't be going to the production of new goods produced in poor conditions. It would be going to the guy selling you the laptop or the e-waste place (back into your local economy). It isn't ideal but the best I can think of. I found my computer out of the trash (I think someone thought it was broken but it only required one part being replaced) which is about as good as you can get.
It's a little bit sad that there is no real offer...
Perhaps tomorrow we'll have "open-source hardware" laptop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_hardware_projects) which respects social and environmental conditions...
I just found that for linux laptops
http://linuxpreloaded.com/
Like you can see, there is the trisquel's logo with the thinkpenguin's laptop.
What about like I mentioned buying a used laptop. As far as the environment goes getting second-hand goods is about as good as it gets (with the exception of not buying at all).
Of course ! It's just to mention some companies which do this kind of laptop.
Personally, I'll certainly take an used laptop in my family.
But, I think that the question about hardware is very interesting. I saw your video, thank you ! I was at the beginning very skeptical about freedombox, and now I want to try.
There was a question about the hardware at the end (the freedombox is produced in China), and the answer of James Vasile shows that it's a big problem, and they must deal with this very restrictive market, but they want also in the future to use "ethical" hardware.
It's the same about phone, the projects geeksphone and openmoko open new perspectives about free phone.
Take a burned live CD of Trisquel 5.0-sugar or Trisquel 5.0 with you
Boot it up; you will know very quickly if it will work with the laptop
Salesmen in the showroom, or sellers of used PC's, should be asked
first of Course!
On 12/08/2011 03:57 PM, name at domain wrote:
> Of course ! It's just to mention some companies which do this kind of
> laptop.
>
> Personally, I'll certainly take an used laptop in my family.
>
> But, I think that the question about hardware is very interesting. I
> saw your video, thank you ! I was at the beginning very skeptical
> about freedombox, and now I want to try.
>
> There was a question about the hardware at the end (the freedombox is
> produced in China), and the answer of James Vasile shows that it's a
> big problem, and they must deal with this very restrictive market, but
> they want also in the future to use "ethical" hardware.
>
> It's the same about phone, the projects geeksphone and openmoko open
> new perspectives about free phone.
>
I'll do that ! It's like the usb key of FSF with Trisquel, you can test it and spread it everywhere ! http://www.fsf.org/associate/benefits
I think that it'll be a great question, and perhaps the continuity of free software, the "ethical" open-source hardware, and also the reuse of the heap of used computers. But some associations do that and send a lot of our used computers, which are refreshed with GNU/Linux, around the world.
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