6 ms·

i.MX still needs binary blobs. I think the only ARM SBC today that can run blob-free today is Radxa's Rock pi 4.

CameronNemo 5y ago
Why only that particular rk3399 board? My rock64 runs blob free, as I would imagine most rk3328 boards do. The rk3399 type c port does require a blob, but I guess that is optional and boards without the USB3 type c port do not need it. Other than that the only blob I need for my PBP is for the broadcom WiFi modem. Are there any ac WiFi modems that work without blobs? I have only seen the ath9k chipsets which top out at 802.11n With that said, I worry an rk3399 would run hot in a phone. Hopefully the thermals on the rk3588 are better. But rockchip is dedicating die space to a poorly supported "neural processing unit" now, so we will have to see.
- marcodiego 5y ago
  The USB-c port on the rock pi 4 is for power only, no eDP or any blob required for HDMI. The model A has no wifi, so no blob required for that too.
fsflover 5y ago
> i.MX still needs binary blobs Which ones? Librem 5 runs an FSF-endorsed OS and is recommended by the FSF: https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11/ https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11/.
- marcodiego 5y ago
  AFAIK fsf recommending a distro doesn't says much about the hardware it runs on. With regard to the blobs still required, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28189184 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28189184
  - fsflover 5y ago
    FSF recommends hardware which runs purely blob-free OSes. Such hardware can still have proprietary components, which can be considered "hardware, not software", i.e., have no access to RAM, CPU or network and do not require updates. Purism solved the problem with the RAM here: https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurdle/ https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurd....
    - marcodiego 5y ago
      This was posted a long time ago. The phone has been available for a more than a year now and it still is not ryf-certified. I don't think it will ever be.
      - fsflover 5y ago
        Have a look at my first link. FSF did not certify the phone, because they did not receive the units yet. Purism is struggling with delivery due to the supply chain problem. Nevertheless, FSF recommends Librem 5 every year, and they never recommend anything requiring binary blobs. I have no doubt it will be certified (later rather than sooner).
        marcodiego 5y ago
        I couldn't find "FSF did not certify the phone, because they did not receive the units yet" in the links you posted. Purism has been tight-lipped about getting ryf certification. These maneuvers around memory and hdmi look more like cheating to me. According to the links I posted, i.MX8 cannot be deblobbed. I stand by what I say: I don't think the librem-5 will ever get ryf-certified.
        fsflover 5y ago
        > I couldn't find "FSF did not certify the phone, because they did not receive the units yet" in the links you posted. Just below the picture of the phone, first sentence: While we're still waiting to get our hands on one, this device looks promising: https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11 https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11. > These maneuvers around memory and hdmi look more like cheating to me. Why does it matter to you that a secondary CPU which has no access to anything runs proprietary blobs to train the RAM? Do you also care about proprietary firmware of SSDs (and avoid them)?
seba_dos1 5y ago
Every i.MX blob combined is an order of magnitude less problematic in practice than PowerVR blob on OMAP.

Why only that particular rk3399 board? My rock64 runs blob free, as I would imagine most rk3328 boards do. The rk3399 type c port does require a blob, but I guess that is optional and boards without the USB3 type c port do not need it. Other than that the only blob I need for my PBP is for the broadcom WiFi modem. Are there any ac WiFi modems that work without blobs? I have only seen the ath9k chipsets which top out at 802.11n With that said, I worry an rk3399 would run hot in a phone. Hopefully the thermals on the rk3588 are better. But rockchip is dedicating die space to a poorly supported "neural processing unit" now, so we will have to see.

marcodiego 5y ago
The USB-c port on the rock pi 4 is for power only, no eDP or any blob required for HDMI. The model A has no wifi, so no blob required for that too.

fsflover 5y ago

> i.MX still needs binary blobs Which ones? Librem 5 runs an FSF-endorsed OS and is recommended by the FSF: https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11/ https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11/.

marcodiego 5y ago
AFAIK fsf recommending a distro doesn't says much about the hardware it runs on. With regard to the blobs still required, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28189184 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28189184
- fsflover 5y ago
  FSF recommends hardware which runs purely blob-free OSes. Such hardware can still have proprietary components, which can be considered "hardware, not software", i.e., have no access to RAM, CPU or network and do not require updates. Purism solved the problem with the RAM here: https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurdle/ https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurd....
  - marcodiego 5y ago
    This was posted a long time ago. The phone has been available for a more than a year now and it still is not ryf-certified. I don't think it will ever be.
    - fsflover 5y ago
      Have a look at my first link. FSF did not certify the phone, because they did not receive the units yet. Purism is struggling with delivery due to the supply chain problem. Nevertheless, FSF recommends Librem 5 every year, and they never recommend anything requiring binary blobs. I have no doubt it will be certified (later rather than sooner).
      - marcodiego 5y ago
        I couldn't find "FSF did not certify the phone, because they did not receive the units yet" in the links you posted. Purism has been tight-lipped about getting ryf certification. These maneuvers around memory and hdmi look more like cheating to me. According to the links I posted, i.MX8 cannot be deblobbed. I stand by what I say: I don't think the librem-5 will ever get ryf-certified.
        fsflover 5y ago
        > I couldn't find "FSF did not certify the phone, because they did not receive the units yet" in the links you posted. Just below the picture of the phone, first sentence: While we're still waiting to get our hands on one, this device looks promising: https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11 https://www.fsf.org/givingguide/v11. > These maneuvers around memory and hdmi look more like cheating to me. Why does it matter to you that a secondary CPU which has no access to anything runs proprietary blobs to train the RAM? Do you also care about proprietary firmware of SSDs (and avoid them)?

seba_dos1 5y ago

Every i.MX blob combined is an order of magnitude less problematic in practice than PowerVR blob on OMAP.