Re: FSF continuously harms Free Hardware

[Leah Rowe]

Hi,

I really can't hold my tongue any longer.

On Sun, 23 Jan 2022 23:33:57 -0500
Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> wrote:
>
> RYF deserves its name.  It checks for the freedom that users of the
> computer can take advantage of, today and in the near future.
> Having those circuit diagrams will not affect the freedom of customers
> who buy the hardware.
>

In fact, access to schematics, boardviews, datasheets and any other
documentation is *critical* to software freedom.

Much of the work that goes into porting a single mainboard to coreboot
requires knowledge of the hardware, and you actually need to read the
schematics to get the code working on specific board configurations.

Let's not also forget the Right to Repair movement, currently lead by
Louis Rossman, which is *fighting* for the right to such documentation,
because without it, nobody could understand their hardware.

I encourage you to look at Louis Rossman's youtube channel to know more
about Right to Repair:

https://vid.puffyan.us/watch?v=Npd_xDuNi9k

And his channel: https://vid.puffyan.us/channel/UCl2mFZoRqjw_ELax4Yisf6w

You, Richard, tell people about my work on Libreboot and I'm very happy
about that, but to say that schematics aren't necessary is ignorant.
Without schematics, you cannot reliably implement coreboot support on a
mainboard.

Similarly, datasheets for each chip tells you how to write software
that uses it. You seem to think that software exists in a perfect
vacuum, and I'm telling you now: it does not.

> 
> Free hardware designs are desirable, and may be necessary in a
> possible distant future, but not very soon.
> 

On the contrary, free hardware is possible *now*. See: RISCV and
SiFive. There are still problems today, that can be solved in the
future, but what you're saying suggests otherwise.

-- 
Think for yourself. Live free!

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