From linsux.org:
“Those are pretty strong statements, I know. Because of my professional involvement with the electronics industry, I do have a somewhat different perspective, a perspective from the “other side” you might say: that of the hardware manufacturers. (As a disclaimer, I am not employed nor have any business relation with any of the companies making the devices on the FSF’s black list. I am merely a user of chips that require firmware to be loaded in one way or another, so I am more aware than most users of how these things work.)”
Quiet down, people. Some guy from some sweatshop making iPhone knock-offs in China has something to say about, ummmm… Something.
“The reality today is that just about every device out there runs binary firmware internally. Acting as if there is no issue if this firmware doesn’t touch your hard drive by having it stored conveniently out of sight elsewhere in your PC is extremely naive.”
Nothing screams paranoid schizophrenia louder than this. Seriously, I bet whoever wrote this crap hears voices whispered into his ears every time a washing machine is switched on.
“Now I do realize that it would be possible for manufacturers to make the source code of the firmware for their devices available, even if the kernel would have to include the firmware in binary form due to compiler limitations. It would still not be trivial to alter the code in that case, but it would be possible for a person with the right skills and access to the right tools. I do not know this for sure, but I would think the FSF might not have a problem with the firmware in that case. Unfortunately we do not live in a world where this is commonly done, as far as I’m aware.”
I think the real problem here is that most people simply don’t have the right skills or tools to mess with this kind of crap. In fact, I am willing to wager that most people don’t even have the right skills or tools to tinker with the software on their hard drives. On the other hand, people with the right skills and tools simply don’t need source code to alter software of any nature. In fact, people with the right skills and tools can even alter software without any code stored outside the run-time environment at all. Basing on this rationale, it is only right to conclude that all the software in the world – regardless of shape or form – is in fact “free” as in “free to alter”. Either that, or there is simply no such thing as “software freedom”, and I am inclined to go with the latter.
“The third option is that the target chip has a boot loader that asks the PC to provide it with the firmware it needs to do its job. If the PC is running Linux, the Linux kernel will see this request and try to find the firmware. Then it will send the firmware to the chip, and once it is loaded, the chip will start to execute the firmware. Many manufacturers like this option because it provides the flexibility to update the firmware if necessary, just by changing a file on the PC, while at the same time saving cost because no non-volatile storage is needed on the peripheral.”
Nice! I wonder how many ways there are to apply Murphy’s law to this. At the mean time, hold on tight to your anti-virus software – you will need it!
“In case of option 1, there is usually no way for you to access or change the code. In option 2, with the right tools, you have the ability to read out the binary code, and you might be able to disassemble the existing firmware code, or write entirely new code, which you can load into the device if you have a programming tool. In option 3, you can do the same thing, but you don’t even need any tool to read out the binary code, because it is sitting right there in a file on your computer. There is no need for a programming tool, because the kernel takes care of loading the firmware for you. You can disassemble the existing code, or start from scratch, and change the firmware running on the peripheral just by replacing the firmware file.”
Again, given our contention here is about having the nondescript “right skills and tools”, the only reasonable conclusion to draw from this is that either all the three options described are in fact “free” or simply none of them are. Look! It’s not my problem that you don’t have two-billion dollars worth of lithographic equipment lying around or two centuries of your life to acquire the “right skills and tools”, now is it?
“In my mind, this is totally wrong. Since no firmware source code is available, all these devices should be treated in exactly the same way. Either they’re all okay or they’re all bad. How the firmware is stored and delivered is irrelevant. Of course, declaring all devices running binary firmware unacceptable is not really an option, since that would mean you would have practically no hardware available to run your totally free OS on. Because at one level or another, you always run into a wall where things become proprietary and you loose control.”
There are two things I must point out here:
1) There is nothing right in your mind unless you listen to your doctor’s instructions and take your medication regularly.
2) Running yourself into a wall is considered neither healthy nor sane. Honestly, just take your med and your imaginary tormentor will eventually go away.
“Why should it make a difference if one peripheral implements its functional algorithms totally in hardware, in a totally inaccessible way, and its associated driver is declared “free”, and another peripheral implements the exact same algorithms partially in software, and its associated driver is declared “non-free” because the peripheral needs to be given a bunch of bits representing its algorithm first?”
Why? Why can’t I paint myself to a corner and not end up looking absolutely stupid in front of everyone?
“I suggest the following rating scheme for determining how “free” a device is and how friendly the manufacturer is to open source:”
No, the only rating scheme we need now is one that can determine how dingbat insane one is and how likely one will flip out and shoot everyone else with a gun:
1) The most dingbat insane person is one that uses the most arbitrary measure of accessibility to determine how much “freedom” a piece of software comes with.
2) The next worst case is that the person is willing to compromise security in order to solve security issues that only exist inside one’s head.
3) The next worst case yet is that the person in question actually takes whatever FSF does seriously.
4) The second to the least worst case is that the person has thoughts of tinkering with computer peripherals without considering the potential risks in relation to both factory warranties and safety.
5) The least worst case is that the person in question is actually bothered enough to give a damn about some random crap on an obscure circuit board.
“Conclusion
Freedom, including software freedom, is important.”
Seriously, TAKE YOUR MEDICATION! There is no reasonable conclusion to draw other than that.
Comments
Well, that seems to set some sort of record in that every single sentence is completely unintelligible.
I hesitate to pick out even a single “argument.” However, this one is particularly memorable:
“Then it will send the firmware to the chip, and once it is loaded, the chip will start to execute the firmware. Many manufacturers like this option because it provides the flexibility to update the firmware if necessary, just by changing a file on the PC, while at the same time saving cost because no non-volatile storage is needed on the peripheral.”
No non-volatile storage? And isn’t, erm, non-volatile storage cheaper than volatile storage? And didn’t somebody or other sort this stuff out with flash BIOS around twenty years ago?
And isn’t firmware supposed to be, erm, firmware, not some cheap knockoff bitstream from a random part of the kernel (cf the Gnome HAL layer, apparently)?
This seems to be an incredibly stupid marketing push from Loonz to utilise the runtime update capability of FPGAs before a single normal sane human being says, well, that really wasn’t what they were there for.
Paranoid schizophrenia is usually triggered by voices from the fridge, not from the washing machine. It’s actually quite logical (unlike this idiot).
You switch your washing machine on. You switch your washing machine off.
On the other hand, your fridge does all this stuff automatically. Even more suspiciously, the basic design beat out one by Einstein. Clearly, therefore, a conduit for alien technology, conveyed by muppet-like humming.
Apparently there’s something do do with the wire-looms in Volkswagens, too. I’m not sure what that is, but my ex managed to cut through the wires twice in a couple of paranoid schizophrenic episodes.
I’m looking forward to her first Linux distro. Believe me, it will be more imaginative and probably more usable than anything Shuttleworth can come up with.
PS You might want to fiddle around with that five-point a bit and turn it into a TM, a la FiveStagesOfLinux™.
DanteDoesFirmware™, perhaps?
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