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I really love GNU GUIX SD (the distro based on this package manager). I just wish the linux-libre crew would bite the bullet and simply publish an actual HCL. "

I really love GNU GUIX SD (the distro based on this package manager). I just wish the linux-libre crew would bite the bullet and simply publish an actual HCL. "Some transmitters with this chipset may not work because they require non-free firmware (that we deliberately changed the kernel to refuse to load)" doesn't really work for me.

moosingin3space 10y ago
The district looks very consistent and nice. I wish there was a version that did have firmwares so those of us with hardware that requires non-free firmware could use it. Yeah, idealism of FSF, but I'm not in a position to buy a Linux-libre-compatible machine right now.
- rekado 10y ago
  FWIW: it's not hard to obtain hardware that works with Linux-libre. My main machine is a Thinkpad X200S where the restrictive Lenovo BIOS has been replaced with Libreboot, allowing me to install a WiFi card from Tehnoetic (using the Atheros driver). I have a couple of other machines and only one of them has reduced functionality when using Linux libre (e.g. the on-board Radeon graphics chip needs nonfree firmware for higher resolutions). Guix and GuixSD makes it easy to use a custom kernel package, so you can choose to use a blobby kernel, if you can accept that.
  - davexunit 10y ago
    To share my own story, I flashed a hacked version of the proprietary BIOS on a Thinkpad X220 and was able to replace the Intel wireless chip with an Atheros chip. At the time Libreboot wasn't available, but it could still be a viable method of using a newer Thinkpad with a fully free OS, downside being that the proprietary BIOS is still in use.
dublinben 10y ago
The HCL you're looking for pretty much already exists.[0] If you're looking for more specific recommendations, the Respects Your Freedom certification is a more limited list of hardware that is known to work without non-free firmware.[1] [0] https://h-node.org/ https://h-node.org/ [1] https://fsf.org/ryf https://fsf.org/ryf
nckx 10y ago
> that we deliberately changed the kernel to refuse to load I've heard this myth before too. Here's someone else's succinct answer to it: It's a common misunderstanding to think that the Linux-libre project forbids loading non-free modules/drivers by user's request after the kernel was installed. In fact, it's a bug that is very hard to fix due to the way that the Linux kernel itself is made, as Alexandre Oliva, member of Linux-libre project, states at http://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/blogs/lxo/2013-11-08-linux-libre-interview-by-bruce-byfield.en.html http://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/blogs/lxo/2013-11-08-linux-libr... (when answering the question "Is there anything that the project wants to do that it can't do now? In general, what are the future plans for the project?").

moosingin3space 10y ago

The district looks very consistent and nice. I wish there was a version that did have firmwares so those of us with hardware that requires non-free firmware could use it. Yeah, idealism of FSF, but I'm not in a position to buy a Linux-libre-compatible machine right now.

rekado 10y ago
FWIW: it's not hard to obtain hardware that works with Linux-libre. My main machine is a Thinkpad X200S where the restrictive Lenovo BIOS has been replaced with Libreboot, allowing me to install a WiFi card from Tehnoetic (using the Atheros driver). I have a couple of other machines and only one of them has reduced functionality when using Linux libre (e.g. the on-board Radeon graphics chip needs nonfree firmware for higher resolutions). Guix and GuixSD makes it easy to use a custom kernel package, so you can choose to use a blobby kernel, if you can accept that.
- davexunit 10y ago
  To share my own story, I flashed a hacked version of the proprietary BIOS on a Thinkpad X220 and was able to replace the Intel wireless chip with an Atheros chip. At the time Libreboot wasn't available, but it could still be a viable method of using a newer Thinkpad with a fully free OS, downside being that the proprietary BIOS is still in use.

dublinben 10y ago

The HCL you're looking for pretty much already exists.[0] If you're looking for more specific recommendations, the Respects Your Freedom certification is a more limited list of hardware that is known to work without non-free firmware.[1] [0] https://h-node.org/ https://h-node.org/ [1] https://fsf.org/ryf https://fsf.org/ryf

nckx 10y ago

> that we deliberately changed the kernel to refuse to load I've heard this myth before too. Here's someone else's succinct answer to it: It's a common misunderstanding to think that the Linux-libre project forbids loading non-free modules/drivers by user's request after the kernel was installed. In fact, it's a bug that is very hard to fix due to the way that the Linux kernel itself is made, as Alexandre Oliva, member of Linux-libre project, states at http://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/blogs/lxo/2013-11-08-linux-libre-interview-by-bruce-byfield.en.html http://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/blogs/lxo/2013-11-08-linux-libr... (when answering the question "Is there anything that the project wants to do that it can't do now? In general, what are the future plans for the project?").