Re: [H-source-users] Advice on listing a ZTE MF730M 3G dongle

[Andrew Lindley]

From: address@hidden (Michał Masłowski)
Subject: Re: [H-source-users] Advice on listing a ZTE MF730M 3G dongle
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:37:28 +0200

>> The above 3G dongle works with free software fine using the USB RNDIS
>> driver.  However, it's loaded with firmware which maintains itself
>> over the air.  There's even a webserver on the thing.  I don't know
>> whether the view is BIOS/UEFI is one thing but peripherals is another
>> or not.
> 
> How does "maintains itself over the air" make it different?
> 
> We list devices that work with host computer's OS not including nonfree
> software, while the device itself might have nonfree firmware.  All 3G
> dongles, printers, etc have nonfree firmware.

The logic of FSF RYF (Respects Your Freedom) hardware certification
criteria are that non-free blobs are allowed but only if they're not
changeable by the user i.e. fixed in ROM.  This is clear and rational.

h-node is listing hardware which works with blob free versions of
Torvald's kernel.  I'm trying to find out if there's a already
rationale distinguishing between 'blobs loaded by the user's kernel'
and 'blobs loaded by other means to the device.'

In this case it maintains itself over the air at the user's
discretion.  If that somehow affects people's judgement on the issue. 

To give related examples - how would h-node list iPhones as
peripherals if they like Android did tethered RNDIS 3/4G?  Are any
distinctions made between Openmoko/Replicant/Cyanogenmod phones used
for this purpose vs locked Androids you can't load libre firmware on?

If the criteria are simply 'if it works' then fine, but logically even
if we do in this situation there should at least be a caveat somewhere
in the listing.