Is there a projects that targets completely FOSS HW and software?
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The question is that would it be possible to have a fully modular printable chassis,and FOSS HW build that can result a "cheap" community designed base Trisquel laptop? TIA
The closest to that is mnt reform probably... IF and only IF it uses LS1028A. Not the other options though.
I say this as what I think FSF would say.
Do you mean that the FSF recommends the MNT Reform?
I thought there was closed source firmware in the eDP:
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/x200-2023#comment-173518
I think this option can be used as a fully free desktop, but it currently costs $2000. So this is not a "cheap laptop".
Also, I don't know if FSF recommends it, but I recall the creator of MNT Reform mentioning, that the LS1028A could be attractive to people wanting a fully free as FSF type laptop.
Oh but yeah, actually you would still need to buy the LS1028A, which is sold on their european website...
My bad, your right 2000 is still expensive... which is close to what it would be on the home website
Actually, more like 2200 euros, estimation, not exact.
Cheaper then Talos 2 though doesn't make it cheap.
I think the next most libre option to both of those, is probably A libreboot device like D16 or D8.
You said you wanted desktop anyhow.
In the 2200 euros I was trying to count possible shipping because I don't know what that would be.
I believe that you can build your own PDP-11 from scratch. With a fully programmable cpu.
Interesting discussion about it here from the vintage computer folks: https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/building-a-pdp-11-from-scratch.1245729/
Only problem is what can it be used for? Sadly, intel has been used to support a vast many things.
Same with other mainstream architectures. As for the non-ones, probably they have holes to deal with.
I look forward to seeing microwatt and libre-soc mature more.
Well, Richard Stallman used one to write a Lisp interpreter - so you could do that.
Coincidentally I happened to run across this today:
https://hackaday.com/2024/01/16/check-out-this-pdp-11-running-unix-with-a-teletype-terminal/
That's a lot of fun. And as we can see from the video, there are still valid uses for the PDP-11. Such as printing banners without too many errors.
"You said you wanted desktop anyhow."
No, I am looking for fully libre laptop. Using this as a desktop would also make it even more expensive.
This is what MNT says: "The eDP (embedded DisplayPort) controller still needs binary firmware, but it is possible to construct a blob-free computer with respectable performance from the module using a simple 2D graphics chip or FPGA for the display output instead. This can be attractive for people seeking a computer that passes FSF RYF certification." That computer would indeed be quite attractive, but if I understand correclty it does not exist yet. And it is a pity, because even though it may not be very powerful for its price currently, I think it would open a way. In time it would become less expensive if the demand for it increases.
Also, would it be possible to use Trisquel on it? If it was fully free and usable with Trisquel, I think all the people who could afford it would buy it and the FSF could really recommend it. I do not remember where I have seen it, but I am almost sure that there is a mention of it in an official FSF document, a sort of encouragement for it to completely get rid of the non-free firmware. I think it was posted somewhere in this forum.
I have found it: "MNT's Reform laptop is promising from a free software perspective. If the nonfree code used to initalize the RAM were to be replaced by the community, we have reason to believe it would be fully compatible with your freedom."
https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v14
I also found this page about the MNT Reform and its progress in the direction of full freedom:
https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Computers/Laptops/Laptops_with_fatal_flaws/Mnt_Reform
They were speaking of the I.MX8QM
The LS1028A however I don't know if they have said anything about that option.
I have also unearthed something: https://trisquel.info/en/forum/buy-cpu-2022#comment-168274.
This was before 2023 even started, so either the discussions have stalled for major external reasons, or that eDP firmware proved to be one stumbling blob too many on the path. Note that the talks mentioned by Thum were about a potential RYF-able laptop. I had been hoping for the possibility of a desktop built around that module that could skip the blob, but am still to hear about such a project. Probably not so cheap either, but at least fully free.
UPDATE: "We probably need some kind of way to fix that, maybe some sort of collective funding to fund people to work on tasks like that?"
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-guix/2021-09/msg00040.html
This was written before the LS1028A module was made available as an option, but that quote may be the best answer to the OP to date. If the project you are looking for does not exist yet, it may be time to consider starting it.
I am a translator!
The central place for this kind of information is https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Computers
For the sake of complete coverage, I may add that laptops are listed there: https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Computers/Laptops.
Not sure why the Reform is in the "laptops with fatal flaws" category and not in "freeable". Does it mean that the Pinebook Pro, for instance, is more readily freeable?
I am a translator!
As far as I understand, the Pinebook pro is based on RK3399, which can boot without non-free firmware and still have all essential functions work.
The MNT reform is sold with a choice of i.MX8MQ, LS1028A and RCM4 311D module. The i.MX8MQ neeeds a blob for memory training to boot, the LS1028A needs a blob for the display and the RCM4 311D need a blob to boot.
With its current hardware, the MNT reform doesn't look "freeable", while the Pinebook pro is.
https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Computers/Laptops/Freeable_laptops/Pinebook_PRO says "Unsure if it's free software" for embedded controller firmware. There is no hint about how to free those if they turned out not to be libre. Reverse engineering maybe?
EDIT: Not sure why I keep forgetting about this: "Unfortunately, besides wifi there are 2 other nonfree parts in this laptop. Keyboard and touchpad controllers. The first one, being ~35KB of hex code, should be relatively easy to RE (but instead of reconstructing the entire firmware source, PINE64 is patching the nonfree hex files and redistributing that...). The second one is similarly small, but I am not sure it is even known what instruction set it uses"
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/are-raspberry-pies-free#comment-164789
I specifically had said LS1028A was the option that was free. I never said the I.MX8MQ or the RCM4 311D were libre, quite the opposite due to the non-free wifi onboard in the last one's case and I am aware of a RAM blob outside of the arm processor for the I.MX8MQ as an edit.
LS1028A has no wifi card built in and integrated and supposedly it also has no weird blobs required to boot the ram or it in general.
Unless LS1028A has a blob I am unaware of, that is the free version of Mnt Reform.
> the LS1028A needs a blob for the display
Indeed, and it has been in the public eye since at least 2022: https://mntre.com/media/reform_md/2022-07-25-ls1028a-status-update.html.
MNT made no mystery of it, but they have hinted that they are not interested in trying to get rid of it, as they believe it may not be worth the effort. So the LS1028A designs are publicly available, and anyone truly interested and with relevant know-how could explore the suggested mPCIe path, but the Reform will probably remain blobbed for the foreseeable future: https://mastodon.social/@mntmn/110256351945111880.
I'm doing a talk about a project I contribute to at FOSDEM, which is 100% libre hardware and software:
https://fosdem.org/2024/schedule/event/fosdem-2024-2060-using-the-ecp5-for-libre-soc-prototyping/
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