5 ms·

So Richard Stallman would be OK to use a PC with a closed source BIOS as long as there is no way to update it?

by av500 15y ago

matthavener 15y ago
I doubt it. RMS uses some laptop specifically because the processor is open source. From his wiki page: "Stallman's only computer is a Lemote Yeeloong netbook (using the same company's Loongson processor) which he chose because it can run with 100% free software even at the BIOS level, stating "freedom is my priority. I've campaigned for freedom since 1983, and I am not going to surrender that freedom for the sake of a more convenient computer."[57] Lemote is a joint venture of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an institution of the State Council of China."
- shahidhussain 15y ago
  More details on that laptop, if it piques your interest: http://www.amazon.com/Screen-Lemote-Yeeloong-8101_B-Netbook/dp/B005XH10NQ http://www.amazon.com/Screen-Lemote-Yeeloong-8101_B-Netbook/...
  - apgwoz 15y ago
    It'd be much more compelling if I knew how much RAM I could jam in the thing. Comes with 1GB, but if I could get 4 in there, it'd be a rocking little machine.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - wazoox 15y ago
    Not too bad a configuration, except for the limited screen.
- tobylane 15y ago
  China? Could he not side with someone who dislikes USA more? Surely there's a North Korean laptop that fits his requirements. Not that anyone other than Stallman is right, it's just odd.
  - davidw 15y ago
    His concern in this case is to get something that runs with free software, rather than buy something from a particular country. I'm sure he'd agree that China does a lot of things he disagrees with at a political and philosophical level.
  - rcfox 15y ago
    What does the USA have to do with this? It's not exactly the paragon of freedom.
    - tobylane 15y ago
      He's American.
  - monochromatic 15y ago
    I would think he'd have a problem with China's track record on freedom more than any anti-USA connotations.
    - astrodust 15y ago
      I guess Coca-Cola is an evil company but China is okay.
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
  - astine 15y ago
    Your complaint seems just a little bit ridiculous considering that most Americans, yourself probably included, use computers made in China or made with parts made in China. In fact, it's probably easier to find and computer 100% free of proprietary software than a computer 100% free of Chinese components. Considering that, national security concerns aside, free trade between countries is usually mutually beneficial, I see no reason to fault Stallman for this.
- microarchitect 15y ago
  It's ironic that his "free" computer was funded by the Chinese government.
  - waqf 15y ago
    I'm confused. Would it also be ironic if it were instead funded by the US government?
  - jrockway 15y ago
    It's actually not. The US government doesn't have to worry about malicious hardware spying on them, because all the hardware is designed (and mostly manufactured) in the US. China, on the other hand, can't trust Microsoft or Intel, so they have to develop their own stuff. Since that's hard, they pawn it off on the Free Software community, who wants the same thing they do (but for different reasons). "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" and all that.
    - derleth 15y ago
      > "The enemy of my enemy is a potential tactical ally for as long as it makes sense."
  - felipe 15y ago
    What's most ironic is that the so-called "free" world is incapable of producing a truly free computer.
    - coliveira 15y ago
      The free world is truly capable of doing that, it just decided that is more lucrative to build non-free computers...
falling 15y ago
Probably yes. I can't find the source, but I think I remember him saying something along the lines of "if the firmware cannot be updated, it can be considered akin to hardware and doesn't need to be free".

So Richard Stallman would be OK to use a PC with a closed source BIOS as long as there is no way to update it?

by av500 15y ago

So Richard Stallman would be OK to use a PC with a closed source BIOS as long as there is no way to update it?

I doubt it. RMS uses some laptop specifically because the processor is open source. From his wiki page: "Stallman's only computer is a Lemote Yeeloong netbook (using the same company's Loongson processor) which he chose because it can run with 100% free software even at the BIOS level, stating "freedom is my priority. I've campaigned for freedom since 1983, and I am not going to surrender that freedom for the sake of a more convenient computer."[57] Lemote is a joint venture of the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an institution of the State Council of China."

shahidhussain 15y ago
More details on that laptop, if it piques your interest: http://www.amazon.com/Screen-Lemote-Yeeloong-8101_B-Netbook/dp/B005XH10NQ http://www.amazon.com/Screen-Lemote-Yeeloong-8101_B-Netbook/...
- apgwoz 15y ago
  It'd be much more compelling if I knew how much RAM I could jam in the thing. Comes with 1GB, but if I could get 4 in there, it'd be a rocking little machine.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- wazoox 15y ago
  Not too bad a configuration, except for the limited screen.
tobylane 15y ago
China? Could he not side with someone who dislikes USA more? Surely there's a North Korean laptop that fits his requirements. Not that anyone other than Stallman is right, it's just odd.
- davidw 15y ago
  His concern in this case is to get something that runs with free software, rather than buy something from a particular country. I'm sure he'd agree that China does a lot of things he disagrees with at a political and philosophical level.
- rcfox 15y ago
  What does the USA have to do with this? It's not exactly the paragon of freedom.
  - tobylane 15y ago
    He's American.
- monochromatic 15y ago
  I would think he'd have a problem with China's track record on freedom more than any anti-USA connotations.
  - astrodust 15y ago
    I guess Coca-Cola is an evil company but China is okay.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
- astine 15y ago
  Your complaint seems just a little bit ridiculous considering that most Americans, yourself probably included, use computers made in China or made with parts made in China. In fact, it's probably easier to find and computer 100% free of proprietary software than a computer 100% free of Chinese components. Considering that, national security concerns aside, free trade between countries is usually mutually beneficial, I see no reason to fault Stallman for this.
microarchitect 15y ago
It's ironic that his "free" computer was funded by the Chinese government.
- waqf 15y ago
  I'm confused. Would it also be ironic if it were instead funded by the US government?
- jrockway 15y ago
  It's actually not. The US government doesn't have to worry about malicious hardware spying on them, because all the hardware is designed (and mostly manufactured) in the US. China, on the other hand, can't trust Microsoft or Intel, so they have to develop their own stuff. Since that's hard, they pawn it off on the Free Software community, who wants the same thing they do (but for different reasons). "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" and all that.
  - derleth 15y ago
    > "The enemy of my enemy is a potential tactical ally for as long as it makes sense."
- felipe 15y ago
  What's most ironic is that the so-called "free" world is incapable of producing a truly free computer.
  - coliveira 15y ago
    The free world is truly capable of doing that, it just decided that is more lucrative to build non-free computers...

falling 15y ago

Probably yes. I can't find the source, but I think I remember him saying something along the lines of "if the firmware cannot be updated, it can be considered akin to hardware and doesn't need to be free".