5 ms·
Well it is early days but Librem and System76 (and several others like Pine64) are making huge headway in the open hardware space. I know there have been lots o
by sammorrowdrums 6y ago
Well it is early days but Librem and System76 (and several others like Pine64) are making huge headway in the open hardware space. I know there have been lots of failures in this area but I think we are getting to a threshold point where building on top of these companies acheivements is quite possible.
Linux on Mobile and open EC and Coreboot etc. are all making rapid progress at the moment. I would still say we are talking in terms of years before more general Linux Phone adoption would be possible, and still the fact your online bank etc. doesn't make an app for Linux would be prohibitive to many (although anbox might help), so I understand pessimism here, but I think the excitement around Linux mobile and open hardware is sufficient that it will at least be revolutionary that it is possible to run open hardware and Linux phones etc. same as SteamOS was a failure if you look only at numbers of Steam Machines, and a revolution in Linux gaming if you look at Proton, GamerOS and all the improvements that came with it.
Viable alternatives affect the behavior of others, even if they "fail".
And if you're already a desktop Linux user like me, open hardware is already a reality. Only thing that's stopped me trading Dell XPS 13 for Purism 14 is that I will miss the QHD+ screen, as it is standard HD res. Still really tempted though.
- bmn__ 6y ago> desktop Linux user like me, open hardware is already a reality Power or RISC-V ISA hardware are in low stock, have very few, specialised vendors and are not affordable. I have great sympathy for people who refuse to pay the outrageous difference to off-the-shelf hardware that can be bought anywhere just to gain a level of privacy that they should have in the first place. AMD and Intel have rootkits in their hardware which are designed to be exceedingly difficult to remove. If the customer is a spy agency, they will ship with the rootkit disabled. If the customer is just a normal person like the one writing the article, one will not be able to have one for money or good words.
- franga2000 6y agoI seriously doubt either Intel or AMD ship different silicon to the NSA or whoever else. At least from what I've read, the only difference (at least on Intel) is the "NSA bit", that can actually be turned on on any chip these days. System76 actually ships machines with it enabled by default.
- pmontra 6y agoThe NSA bit? Do you mean this setting to toggle Intel ME? https://www.csoonline.com/article/3220476/researchers-say-now-you-too-can-disable-intel-me-backdoor-thanks-to-the-nsa.html https://www.csoonline.com/article/3220476/researchers-say-no...
- franga2000 6y agoYep, that's the one. I've heard people referring to it as "the NSA bit" because it was supposedly implemented at the request/demand of the NSA.
- colejohnson66 6y agoIf true, the irony of the NSA asking not for their hardware to (possibly) spy on them is rich.
- kube-system 6y agoWhat is ironic about it? All spy agencies, everywhere on the planet, do two things: * spy on others * try not to get spied on
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- chasil 6y agoThe Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad was the last CPU where the "Management Engine" could be completely wiped and disabled. This is my experience in removing the ARC firmware code from two different HP desktops (I attached both BIOS images): https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner/issues/233 https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner/issues/233 These PCs are quite inexpensive. I run OpenBSD with hardened Chrome on one of them, for all of my finances.
- Zetaphor 6y ago
- didericis 6y agoIf you’re referring to Intel ME and the AMD PSP, people who have analyzed the PSP seem to think it’s safe: https://youtu.be/bKH5nGLgi08?t=47m14s https://youtu.be/bKH5nGLgi08?t=47m14s
- fxtentacle 6y agoThe issue with open hardware is that DRM vendors don't support it. A fully open phone doesn't have hardware DRM keys so you won't get FullHD in Netflix. And now you've lost 90% of the market.
- sammorrowdrums 6y agoYeah, even when you boot up into Netlfix in Epiphany browser or something and discover you can't. It's not a great OOTB experience for new Linux users, never mind being locked out entirely. But that said, I don't really know how to fix the DRM problem without first making progress on open hardware. Viability and market share in spite of the adversity is the only chance I can see. It still might fail. We try because we feel it is too important to simply do nothing, not because we expect mass success.
- hkt 6y agoMaybe this is something that is a bit facile of me to say, but I like to try to compartmentalise, such that I have a little tablet for media stuff which I use to cast to TV via Chromecast. The other stuff not having Netflix access (both phone and laptop) doesn't bother me so much, and keeps a distinction between open and closed at home. The nice perk is that Chromecast is now doable from laptops under GNOME and will likely become available on phone OSes like PureOS etc too in time. Not great for normies, but that's my tip anyway. Media consumption is a wedge issue and if you're prepared to spend money for privacy, there are a few ways it can be done.
- mwcampbell 6y agoI think the solution is to convince more people that we can live happy lives without access to big-budget entertainment. I've been mostly going without for about two years now, though I've wavered a few times.
- jtxx 6y agoIDK, many people spend their whole lives glued to the TV or movies. it feels like it has only gotten worse. it also feels like people don't have hobbies these days. I think to convince people of what you're saying, we need to get people back into having more hobbies. or at least reading or something
- shams93 6y agoFor me Lenovo have been in between the pure and wonderful but too expensive for me of System 76 and the Pinebook Pro which I own but is too slow and low end to use for my daily get stuff done machine, which instead is an ideapad 3 with ubuntu 20.04.