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Re: [libreplanet-discuss] RYF certification permits binary blobs?
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From: |
NIIBE Yutaka |
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Subject: |
Re: [libreplanet-discuss] RYF certification permits binary blobs? |
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Date: |
Thu, 03 Dec 2015 23:45:20 +0900 |
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User-agent: |
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Icedove/31.6.0 |
On 12/03/2015 05:39 PM, Michael Lamb wrote:
> "All the product software must be free software. [...] However, there
> is an exception for secondary embedded processors. The exception
> applies to [...] firmware built into an I/O device [...] The software
> in such secondary processors does not count as product software." --
> http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/criteria
It says:
The exception applies to software delivered inside auxiliary and
low-level processors and FPGAs, within which software installation
is not intended after the user obtains the product.
My interpretation is: the exception applies to a hardware, when we can
consider it as a fixed circuit. I don't think it is OK for RYF
certification to allow some hardware with binary blob (where binary
blob is loaded from main processor to secondary processors).
It's like your interpretation:
> Perhaps "firmware embedded in an I/O device" refers only to firmware
> that is burnt into ROM and is irreplaceable without replacing the
> whole device itself?
In my opinion: Firmware in battery or power management chip is OK.
Firmware in keyboard and mouse is OK. I assume that firmware upgrade
for them is not common, and people don't do firmware upgrade for them.
Firmware in HDD, SSD, or USB memory would be OK, I'm not sure if there
is a practice of firmware upgrade for them.
--