[libreplanet-discuss] The state of Libre Hardware

[address@hidden]

This is kind of short notice but I believe there should be a mention of 
the current state of libre hardware and the OEM's continual revoking of 
computing freedom.

Up until recently your computer was truly yours, only recently have both 
x86_64 OEM's Intel and AMD added black box supervisor processors and 
hardware level code signing enforcement as a backdoor and to currently 
prevent you from modifying your computers firmware and in the future 
prevent you from installing linux on the average computer entirely; 
Microsofts "Secure" boot V2.0 has conveniently removed the requirement 
that users be allowed to disable it or add their own keys.
I imagine that eventually consumer grade computers will prevent users 
from installing the operating system of their choice and one would have 
to buy an expensive "business" PC to install linux.


As of now there is only one high performance owner controlled CPU arch 
(POWER) and only one modern high performance system that is owner 
controlled with libre firmware (Raptor's TALOS 2).

AMD's Opteron socket G34/C32 is the last owner controlled x86_64 
platform, while you can buy a KGPE-D16/KCMA-D8 and install libre 
firmware for the board and BMC the platform is showing its age and is 
significantly slower than the OpenPOWER9 TALOS 2.