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The European Union ("Europe") won't kill free software (if only because Apple wouldn't be pleased if suddenly iOS and OS X were illegal in the EU[1]). At most i

by Kristine1975 11y ago

The European Union ("Europe") won't kill free software (if only because Apple wouldn't be pleased if suddenly iOS and OS X were illegal in the EU[1]). At most it will kill free software in Wifi routers. More about the EU directive: https://juliareda.eu/2015/10/dear-european-governments-dont-endanger-free-and-open-wifi-networks/ https://juliareda.eu/2015/10/dear-european-governments-dont-... [1] They use open source components

creshal 11y ago
Much more likely, it will only require firmware blobs on the actual wifi chips (not the general purpose CPU of the router/access point built around it) for compliance. Which is already the status quo for 90% of all wifi hardware.
- wyager 11y ago
  >Which is already the status quo for 90% of all wifi hardware. And they are killing the other 10%. 90+% of consumer PCs use a closed-source OS. Is it OK to ban the other <10%?
  - creshal 11y ago
    Realistically, no, they always have been walking dead. Without special licenses, it always was illegal to drive radio hardware out of spec. It was just largely a grey area because of how incredibly hard it was to enforce compliance. While the hardware technically had shared-source firmware/drivers, you were never legally able to use it modified outside of specially shielded environments, so it's not "open" source in the true sense, and never was. Claiming that the FCC "is killing it" is a red herring, they're just enforcing laws that have been existing for longer than wifi. Should the laws restricting radio broadcasting be abolished? Maybe. (Accidentally jamming radars or EMT/police radios can be a huge risk.) Maybe not. (If someone wants to jam EMT/police radio or radars on purpose, they can build a better contraption without using off-the-shelf wifi hardware.) But focusing on open versus closed software is a red herring.
- lolidaisuki 11y ago
  That would be a reasonable way to solve the problem that doesn't even exist. However that costs money for the manufacteurs so they are much more likely to do it by locking the firmware for the whole device.
lolidaisuki 11y ago
Apple software won't be illegal because they can very easily apply for the certifications.

creshal 11y ago

Much more likely, it will only require firmware blobs on the actual wifi chips (not the general purpose CPU of the router/access point built around it) for compliance. Which is already the status quo for 90% of all wifi hardware.

wyager 11y ago
>Which is already the status quo for 90% of all wifi hardware. And they are killing the other 10%. 90+% of consumer PCs use a closed-source OS. Is it OK to ban the other <10%?
- creshal 11y ago
  Realistically, no, they always have been walking dead. Without special licenses, it always was illegal to drive radio hardware out of spec. It was just largely a grey area because of how incredibly hard it was to enforce compliance. While the hardware technically had shared-source firmware/drivers, you were never legally able to use it modified outside of specially shielded environments, so it's not "open" source in the true sense, and never was. Claiming that the FCC "is killing it" is a red herring, they're just enforcing laws that have been existing for longer than wifi. Should the laws restricting radio broadcasting be abolished? Maybe. (Accidentally jamming radars or EMT/police radios can be a huge risk.) Maybe not. (If someone wants to jam EMT/police radio or radars on purpose, they can build a better contraption without using off-the-shelf wifi hardware.) But focusing on open versus closed software is a red herring.
lolidaisuki 11y ago
That would be a reasonable way to solve the problem that doesn't even exist. However that costs money for the manufacteurs so they are much more likely to do it by locking the firmware for the whole device.

lolidaisuki 11y ago

Apple software won't be illegal because they can very easily apply for the certifications.