4 ms·

Wouldn't you also need "free hardware" to avoid the risk of your device being used against you? If you're not willing to trust the software on your phone, why w

by Figs 16y ago

Wouldn't you also need "free hardware" to avoid the risk of your device being used against you? If you're not willing to trust the software on your phone, why would you trust that there isn't a tracking device built directly into the chips on the phone?

iuguy 16y ago
Given the way GSM works you'd also need 'Free cell towers', 'Free GSNs' and a 'Free network'. Not that I even know how that would be possible. You'd also still need 'Free airwaves' because you can triangulate from your own broadcast signal in some cases.
LXicon 16y ago
The article does mention that Stallman uses a "rather slow" Lemote Yeeloong laptop because it's the only laptop with a free BIOS.
- jff 16y ago
  Which is untrue. I just purchased a Genesi Smartbook, which uses u-Boot and wasn't designed in a fascist country with a penchant for electronic espionage.
  - LXicon 16y ago
    is u-Boot a System BIOS? it appears to be a Bootloader: http://sourceforge.net/projects/u-boot/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/u-boot/ Bootloaders are executed after the BIOS.
- jrockway 16y ago
  I thought it was the CPU microcode, not the BIOS? Because there are open source BIOSes that you can flash to a variety of more powerful machines.
  - LXicon 16y ago
    you are probably correct. the article just mentioned the BIOS. i looked around and could not find specific mention of the microcode in the laptop's specs :http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Freest#Lemote_Yeeloong_8089_and_8101 http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Freest#Lemote_Yee... or on Stallman's page : http://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html http://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html or in this FSF paper page on free hardware: http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/how_hardware_vendors_can_help.html http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/how_hardware_vendors_can_hel...
zinkem 16y ago
With a software system, unwanted code can be injected into the system at any time without your knowledge. This isn't true of hardware.

by Figs 16y ago

iuguy 16y ago

Given the way GSM works you'd also need 'Free cell towers', 'Free GSNs' and a 'Free network'. Not that I even know how that would be possible. You'd also still need 'Free airwaves' because you can triangulate from your own broadcast signal in some cases.

LXicon 16y ago

The article does mention that Stallman uses a "rather slow" Lemote Yeeloong laptop because it's the only laptop with a free BIOS.

jff 16y ago
Which is untrue. I just purchased a Genesi Smartbook, which uses u-Boot and wasn't designed in a fascist country with a penchant for electronic espionage.
- LXicon 16y ago
  is u-Boot a System BIOS? it appears to be a Bootloader: http://sourceforge.net/projects/u-boot/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/u-boot/ Bootloaders are executed after the BIOS.
jrockway 16y ago
I thought it was the CPU microcode, not the BIOS? Because there are open source BIOSes that you can flash to a variety of more powerful machines.
- LXicon 16y ago
  you are probably correct. the article just mentioned the BIOS. i looked around and could not find specific mention of the microcode in the laptop's specs :http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Freest#Lemote_Yeeloong_8089_and_8101 http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Freest#Lemote_Yee... or on Stallman's page : http://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html http://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html or in this FSF paper page on free hardware: http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/how_hardware_vendors_can_help.html http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/how_hardware_vendors_can_hel...

zinkem 16y ago

With a software system, unwanted code can be injected into the system at any time without your knowledge. This isn't true of hardware.