First FSF endorsed laptop

[Feathers McGraw]

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...tem&px=MTU0Nzg

Basically a ThinkPad X60s with the proprietary BIOS removed and Coreboot installed instead. It's running Trisquel GNU/Linux.

Feathers

[woodsmoke]

Trisquel really is a great OS.

They are not really into being kumbayah on the forum, but I really liked the OS when I installed it a coupla years back.

However, I couldn't do w/o being able to manipulate videos etc. So I did, covertly, install some non-free stuff, but still it is a great distro.

So....I think the package would be worthwhile for people who want to go completely FOSS etc. or if maybe one could do with a "little" non-free.

Edit: I found my old HP 1250 printer scanner and an HPLaserjet 6P.

I did not do wifi with it, but since the chipset is a good one, internet should be ok.

But, again I was surprised with the OS.

woodsmoke

[SteveRiley]

Stallman gives his blessing to an anemic seven year old laptop that's had its BIOS yanked out of the Southbridge and replaced with Coreboot. Oooooookay. What about the non-free Northbridge? The non-free CPU and GPU? The non-free Atheros wi-fi? Also, the claim "none of the software is known to contain backdoors" is not verifiable unless one bootstraps his own compiler.

[woodsmoke]

Now SR don't be harshing the FSF!

woodsmoke

[SteveRiley]

LOL. I'll say 10 Hail Stallmans tonight before bed.

Hail Stallman, full of indignation.
Our copy is left with thee.
Noisy art thou among the hirsute,
and invisible is the fruit of thy code,
Hurd.
Stubborn Richard, father of GNU,
chill-out for us Linuxers,
now and at the cron of our tab.
Kmen.

x 10

[Feathers McGraw]

Also, the claim "none of the software is known to contain backdoors" is not verifiable unless one bootstraps his own compiler.

Now now, Steve, behave yourself. He said none of it is KNOWN to contain backdoors, not that it definitely does not!

This is good progress - if you were choosing between a laptop with all free software vs that same laptop with non-free parts, wouldn't you choose the free one?

Coreboot development should be encouraged so that we can have the features that we want and not be limited to what the OEM thinks we want. It may not do these things yet but that's not a good reason to give up.

[SteveRiley]

This is good progress - if you were choosing between a laptop with all free software vs that same laptop with non-free parts, wouldn't you choose the free one?

Not if my only choice were a refurbed piece of ancient history with a barely adequate GPU and an unusable resolution.

That laptop would work well for someone who does email, Facebook, and other light tasks. The set of people who do only these things on computers don't care about OS/hardware freedom. The people who do care about these things also tend to push their hardware more and need modern technology, which they most definitely won't get with this phoenix-ish X60.

I have come to the realization that we as Linux users are going to have to simply accept our status as second-class citizens in the minds of hardware manufacturers. So long as we continue to push them to at least pay a little attention to us, we achieve minor victories -- decent Intel drivers, support from HP for their printers, even better relationships with nVidia. But now we have HRH Richard trumpeting about the first "certified" laptop, one has little utility for those who care. Think about the message this sends to hardware manufacturers: "Oh, those Linux guys, they have no interest in modern technology. Maybe we'll just stop whatever anemic support we're giving them now. Hell, they're happy to reverse-engineer anyway. So what if it takes them a couple more years to get $NEW_FANGLED_HARDWARE to work?"

I realize I'm being very critical here, and that not everyone will agree. But I don't like the "we're happy to settle for less" image this announcement creates.

[Feathers McGraw]

Yeah, I'm not disagreeing with you but you're arguing a different point to the one I was trying to make.

If you were choosing between a laptop with all free software vs that same laptop with non-free parts, wouldn't you choose the free one?

I.e. same hardware, both equally supported. The choice is free or proprietary?

Obviously we're not there yet, and may never be (perhaps we'll always be a few years behind?) but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

[SteveRiley]

I.e. same hardware, both equally supported. The choice is free or proprietary?

Hell, that's easy: in this case, I'd be willing to pay as much as a 25% premium for free.

Uh, wait...pay more for free...well, you know what I mean!

(I missed the part you bolded there. Read your earlier reply too fast. That's a perennial fault of mine here, sigh.)

[SteveRiley]

Something else to think about. Swapping out BIOS/UEFI for Coreboot converts only one of the many bits of hardware-based microcode into something that's free. Don't forget the various other places where proprietary firmware exists: wi-fi adapters, SMbus controllers, SATA/SAS/FireWire controllers... quite a list.

[woodsmoke]

WOULD SOMEone PLEEEEZE "explain" the ADVANTAGE of Coreboot and why it is important.............

in a FEW SHORT CONCISE SENTENCES!!!

woodsmoke

[Feathers McGraw]

WOULD SOMEone PLEEEEZE "explain" the ADVANTAGE of Coreboot and why it is important.............

in a FEW SHORT CONCISE SENTENCES!!!

woodsmoke

The usual stuff, really...

It's free software, so you can be more certain (but not totally certain) that it's doing only what it's supposed to, and nothing more.

Also, it can support features that free software users may want, but that wouldn't necessarily be worthwhile for OEMs to introduce, financially speaking. Cooreboot development isn't driven by Windows' needs.

http://www.coreboot.org/Benefits

Feathers

[woodsmoke]

Thanks Feathers!

I actually tried to involve myself with TriSquel, under the WRONG impressions, on my part, that they would actually WANT....

to know if I could install the OS....

They REALLY COULD NOT CARE!@!!!!!! REALLY.....THEY ARE OFF INTO FREE as in free from homage to any "money" group".............

they blew me off BIG TIME....

BUT...........the really big point is that...............

a) if you wanna go "totally free as in free intellectually or free in terms of "evil United States corporation"...........then THEY ....have a WORKABLE distro.

b) if you want to do the above but then "tweak it a little"........to get what YOU HAVE TO HAVE to get on with your life....again...........THEY ..... have a WORKABLE distro.

just my thoughts.

woodsmoke