[GNUz] GNUz Out with Ubuntu and in with GNU/.....?

[Don Gould]

Nick Rout wrote:
> I still think its ironic that if the firmware were built in to the 
> device (hardwired or burned into PROM or otherwise not user upgradeable) 
> it wouldn't be an issue for rms, but the fact it is uploaded from the 
> computer into the peripheral device does make it an issue. It seems to 
> me that taking rms' arguments to their logical conclusion then our 
> hardware and firmware has to be Libre too, otherwise we get stuck with 
> "Trusted Computing".

Trusted computing doesn't sound like something that's good, assuming I 
understand the term correctly.

I have often looked and the insides of something that thought "I wonder 
what that's actually doing".

> I appreciate the need to draw a line, 

Yes.  After Saturday I don't actually feel quite so bad about running 
Windows on my laptop any more.

I feel a bit like a "3 pack a day" smoker who has cut back to 1 pack a week.

> and (if I understand him 
> correctly) rms has drawn it somewhere between uploadable firmware and 
> fixed firmware. But to my mind his line is practical but not necessarily 
> logical.

> There are moves towards libre hardware solutions:
> 
> 1.  I am aware of the attempted development of an open video card.
> 
> 2.  Beagleboard is an interesting project: 
> http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/beagleboard-149-linux-system
> 
> See here for a fuller list:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source_hardware

Thanks Nick, those were some good links.

Anyone know how open the OpenMoko phone project is?

Cheers Don