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If every Linux user would boycott AMD to release their source, then we could have libreboot: https://libreboot.org/amd-libre.html https://libreboot.org/amd-libr

If every Linux user would boycott AMD to release their source, then we could have libreboot: https://libreboot.org/amd-libre.html https://libreboot.org/amd-libre.html ME vs PSP isn't much of a choice. Of course POWER might be an option eventually, but isn't for most of us currently.

Semaphor 6y ago
Boycott AMD, and obviously Intel [0]. Doesn’t really leave a lot of options. [0] https://libreboot.org/faq.html#intel https://libreboot.org/faq.html#intel
- exrook 6y ago
  Well there is POWER[0], not that it's a very affordable choice, the cheapest motherboard + cpu costing $1,732.07 [0]https://www.raptorcs.com/content/BK1B01/intro.html https://www.raptorcs.com/content/BK1B01/intro.html
  - yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
    Is ARM an option? I know in practice many ARM systems rely on blobs, but it's not clear to me that that's universal.
    - q92z8oeif 6y ago
      There is nothing like "ARM" in the market. There is CPU/SoC X by Y, built on top of a license from ARM. So you would have to boycott N companies instead of just AMD & Intel :( And even more so, since all their customers are EOM that are happy to sign NDAs.
      - CameronNemo 6y ago
        Decent blob scarce arm option: https://libre.computer/ https://libre.computer/
    - als0 6y ago
      There are ARM systems that don't need blobs. Whether they are useful to you is a different question. An example is the iMX line from NXP.
- temptemptemp111 6y ago
  It isn't really how it works. For most consumers, we can wait a bit longer to buy anything. They want to sell stuff more often... We become more vocal about what would get our $.
freedomben 6y ago
It looks like that stuff was hot 3 years ago. Is there a newer (more likely to pay off) push? I'd happily tell AMD that I'm in the market for an expensive new system and I'd instantly go with Ryzen if it were open. As it stands now I'm leaning Intel because it's the devil I know.
- yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
  I don't understand. Intel has ME, AMD has PSP, neither makes any particular effort to support libreboot (although I'm pretty sure coreboot can work with both if the manufacturer wants, because Chromebooks do that). Unless you believe that Intel is more open, why would you prefer it? It appears to me that they're equally security-unfriendly, but with AMD at least winning on price and performance.
  - freedomben 6y ago
    > It appears to me that they're equally security-unfriendly, but with AMD at least winning on price and performance. I agree (although I'm not sure price and performance is significant enough to matter to me), the only reason I would go with Intel is that it's what I've been using for the last 20 years, and it's what I know. I had an AMD one time (late 90s/early 00s) and had a lot of problems with it. I know AMD today is much different than in the past, but I'm still wary whe the investment is one I will need to use for 5 to 10 years. But if AMD went libre, I'd jump ship.
    - temptemptemp111 6y ago
      Exactly, and they honestly don't even realize what is good for their own business. That's why I made the comment - perhaps more people will let them know.
dmos62 6y ago
Or, instead of boycotting, work towards sensible laws for obliging software/hardware providers to provide sources.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
dathinab 6y ago
But if they release everything libreboot want's wouldn't that potentially undermine DRM (e.g. webdrm pluging as used by netflix)? I mean I'm not a fan of DRM but then undermining it might cause browsers on Ryzen to no longer be able to run Netflix and similar. While I guess many people on this site wouldn't care too much it's not profitable for AMD. But then there should be a way to have both. The case which don't need/want DRM and can have a complete libre system and the case which needs DRM for whatever reason and sadly can't go libre.
- temptemptemp111 6y ago
  It is a baseless fear. There will be software emulation to let those things work while you're using them - and not when you're not using them.
als0 6y ago
POWER has Ultravisor.

Semaphor 6y ago

Boycott AMD, and obviously Intel [0]. Doesn’t really leave a lot of options. [0] https://libreboot.org/faq.html#intel https://libreboot.org/faq.html#intel

exrook 6y ago
Well there is POWER[0], not that it's a very affordable choice, the cheapest motherboard + cpu costing $1,732.07 [0]https://www.raptorcs.com/content/BK1B01/intro.html https://www.raptorcs.com/content/BK1B01/intro.html
- yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
  Is ARM an option? I know in practice many ARM systems rely on blobs, but it's not clear to me that that's universal.
  - q92z8oeif 6y ago
    There is nothing like "ARM" in the market. There is CPU/SoC X by Y, built on top of a license from ARM. So you would have to boycott N companies instead of just AMD & Intel :( And even more so, since all their customers are EOM that are happy to sign NDAs.
    - CameronNemo 6y ago
      Decent blob scarce arm option: https://libre.computer/ https://libre.computer/
  - als0 6y ago
    There are ARM systems that don't need blobs. Whether they are useful to you is a different question. An example is the iMX line from NXP.
temptemptemp111 6y ago
It isn't really how it works. For most consumers, we can wait a bit longer to buy anything. They want to sell stuff more often... We become more vocal about what would get our $.

freedomben 6y ago

It looks like that stuff was hot 3 years ago. Is there a newer (more likely to pay off) push? I'd happily tell AMD that I'm in the market for an expensive new system and I'd instantly go with Ryzen if it were open. As it stands now I'm leaning Intel because it's the devil I know.

yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
I don't understand. Intel has ME, AMD has PSP, neither makes any particular effort to support libreboot (although I'm pretty sure coreboot can work with both if the manufacturer wants, because Chromebooks do that). Unless you believe that Intel is more open, why would you prefer it? It appears to me that they're equally security-unfriendly, but with AMD at least winning on price and performance.
- freedomben 6y ago
  > It appears to me that they're equally security-unfriendly, but with AMD at least winning on price and performance. I agree (although I'm not sure price and performance is significant enough to matter to me), the only reason I would go with Intel is that it's what I've been using for the last 20 years, and it's what I know. I had an AMD one time (late 90s/early 00s) and had a lot of problems with it. I know AMD today is much different than in the past, but I'm still wary whe the investment is one I will need to use for 5 to 10 years. But if AMD went libre, I'd jump ship.
  - temptemptemp111 6y ago
    Exactly, and they honestly don't even realize what is good for their own business. That's why I made the comment - perhaps more people will let them know.

dmos62 6y ago

Or, instead of boycotting, work towards sensible laws for obliging software/hardware providers to provide sources.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

dathinab 6y ago

But if they release everything libreboot want's wouldn't that potentially undermine DRM (e.g. webdrm pluging as used by netflix)? I mean I'm not a fan of DRM but then undermining it might cause browsers on Ryzen to no longer be able to run Netflix and similar. While I guess many people on this site wouldn't care too much it's not profitable for AMD. But then there should be a way to have both. The case which don't need/want DRM and can have a complete libre system and the case which needs DRM for whatever reason and sadly can't go libre.

temptemptemp111 6y ago
It is a baseless fear. There will be software emulation to let those things work while you're using them - and not when you're not using them.

als0 6y ago

POWER has Ultravisor.