4 ms·

This comment implies that we have options... we do not have options. Hell, there are places where such options are actually outlawed!

by braiamp 1mo ago

bji9jhff 1mo ago
Which options are outlawed and where?
- braiamp 1mo ago
  Just look at anything that require certification and prohibit modification, PCI endpoints, FIPS, fuel pumps, aviation, medical software, gambling machines... most of those are outlawed because the law made it prohibitively expensive or cumbersome for someone to make an alternative even if the implementation is known
  - fsflover 1mo ago
    Despite all these, GNU/Linux phones exist and can be daily drivers for technical people. And you can download their schematics, too. Sent from my Librem 5.
    - apatheticonion 1mo ago
      I am on that team and REALLY want it to be the case - but GNU/LInux devices are usually a significantly worse hardware experience than their walled garden cousins. For example, there is literally no laptop on Earth as nice as the MacBook Pro. Extremely long battery life, insane CPU & GPU performance, unmatched trackpad - but it runs MacOS. Unless you're a professional video editor, the laptop is largely relegated to being a thin client for a Linux machine you SSH into (or spawn a non hardware accelerated VM and demolish performance / power). How long would it take Apple to develop Linux drivers (even as binary blobs like nvidia)? Probably a couple of weekends. Why don't they? Because walled garden. The MacBook is lucky in that it's a high profile device so we see projects like Asahi working at it - but again, without good documentation and despite the incredible progress, the Asahi team have spent years and created an alternative for older Apple hardware that still isn't daily drivable (not throwing shade at the project, it's incredible and I am dying to use Linux on my MacBook). But what about devices with less enthusiastic communities? Pixel 8? Samsung TV? Asus Router? Fitbit Air? D-Link portable 5g modem? My smart blinds? These devices have no drivers, locked bootloaders, and no community to spend years reverse engineering hardware (that will be obsolete by the time OSS drivers are developed). I want to see my high end consumer hardware running OSS and until regulators step in to force the "right to repair software" - I don't see that happening and it breaks my heart.
      - fsflover 1mo ago
        Everything you said is true, which is why supporting alternatives that are open by design is essential. Even if they are have less powerful hardware.

This comment implies that we have options... we do not have options. Hell, there are places where such options are actually outlawed!

by braiamp 1mo ago

This comment implies that we have options... we do not have options. Hell, there are places where such options are actually outlawed!

bji9jhff 1mo ago

Which options are outlawed and where?

braiamp 1mo ago
Just look at anything that require certification and prohibit modification, PCI endpoints, FIPS, fuel pumps, aviation, medical software, gambling machines... most of those are outlawed because the law made it prohibitively expensive or cumbersome for someone to make an alternative even if the implementation is known
- fsflover 1mo ago
  Despite all these, GNU/Linux phones exist and can be daily drivers for technical people. And you can download their schematics, too. Sent from my Librem 5.
  - apatheticonion 1mo ago
    I am on that team and REALLY want it to be the case - but GNU/LInux devices are usually a significantly worse hardware experience than their walled garden cousins. For example, there is literally no laptop on Earth as nice as the MacBook Pro. Extremely long battery life, insane CPU & GPU performance, unmatched trackpad - but it runs MacOS. Unless you're a professional video editor, the laptop is largely relegated to being a thin client for a Linux machine you SSH into (or spawn a non hardware accelerated VM and demolish performance / power). How long would it take Apple to develop Linux drivers (even as binary blobs like nvidia)? Probably a couple of weekends. Why don't they? Because walled garden. The MacBook is lucky in that it's a high profile device so we see projects like Asahi working at it - but again, without good documentation and despite the incredible progress, the Asahi team have spent years and created an alternative for older Apple hardware that still isn't daily drivable (not throwing shade at the project, it's incredible and I am dying to use Linux on my MacBook). But what about devices with less enthusiastic communities? Pixel 8? Samsung TV? Asus Router? Fitbit Air? D-Link portable 5g modem? My smart blinds? These devices have no drivers, locked bootloaders, and no community to spend years reverse engineering hardware (that will be obsolete by the time OSS drivers are developed). I want to see my high end consumer hardware running OSS and until regulators step in to force the "right to repair software" - I don't see that happening and it breaks my heart.
    - fsflover 1mo ago
      Everything you said is true, which is why supporting alternatives that are open by design is essential. Even if they are have less powerful hardware.