Ubuntu Edge
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I asked the Ubuntu Edge team if Canonical was now committed to free firmware for this 'crowdfunded' device after previous negative statements. In response I received this:
"Ubuntu Edge is an open device. Developers are able to tinker with the software and use our standard flashing tools to upload their own custom builds. Hopefully this answers your question. If not please don’t hesitate to email again. Thanks again for your interest and support.
Best regards, Christine The Ubuntu Edge Team"
My question is, have any of you looked into this device? I like the hardware concept but I'm skeptical after years of waiting for the magical day when most machines have no non-free firmware by default.
What do you think of their response? I get the impression that the firmware is replaceable but certain things will not work without proprietary software and Canonical will not be working on a free replacement firmware for those parts.
What do you all think?
I think that's corporate speak for 'no'.
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for freedom related breakthroughs from Ubuntu/Canonical. These are people who think proprietary software is OK and that spying on their brainless users is OK.
> "Ubuntu Edge is an open device. Developers are able to tinker with the
> software and use our standard flashing tools to upload their own
> custom builds. Hopefully this answers your question. If not please
> don’t hesitate to email again. Thanks again for your interest and
> support.
> Best regards, Christine The Ubuntu Edge Team"
"Firmware" has a different meaning for mobile devices: there it refers
to the OS and user-visible software, not to the firmware running on
other CPUs. There is no mention of the software in the custom build
being free or not.
> My question is, have any of you looked into this device? I like the
> hardware concept but I'm skeptical after years of waiting for the
> magical day when most machines have no non-free firmware by default.
No chip has been chosen yet, we don't know what it will be.
> What do you all think?
There were several questions on
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1j166z/hi_im_mark_shuttleworth_founder_of_ubuntu/
regarding free drivers with no specific answer. I think they don't want
to lie nor write that the drivers will be nonfree.
I am a translator!
Mark Shuttleworth commented about free drivers and free software in this video (he said they would like to have free drivers and that no proprietary software would be installed). He didn't say though that the Android version would come preinstalled with F-Droid instead of Google's app store.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HNFBHwcrFM
http://news.slashdot.org/story/13/08/03/0128252/shuttleworth-answers-fsf-call-for-free-software-drivers-on-edge
On 04/08/13 00:49, alonivtsan wrote:
> Mark Shuttleworth commented about free srivers in thsi video. It was
> also covered in Slashdot.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HNFBHwcrFM
> http://news.slashdot.org/story/13/08/03/0128252/shuttleworth-answers-fsf-call-for-free-software-drivers-on-edge
Unfortunately, he said this on reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1j166z/hi_im_mark_shuttleworth_founder_of_ubuntu/cba38y9
> There may be blobs in the first generation device. The way to a
> blob-free future is to show demand from folks who care about that,
> not to be ideological about it.
Hmm, that's a real shame.
Andrew.
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