The right to know whether my hardware will run free software
suggested by hellekin2013-12-05
hellekin: Hardware vendors usually don't get any profit from guaranteeing user's freedom, so they do not care about ensuring compatibility with free software. Worse, when you buy a computer, most will tell you "it's compatible with Linux", but they fail to understand that it's not enough to safeguard your freedom.
The hardware should be labeled to tell whether it can (1) run a free software BIOS replacement (e.g., Coreboot); and (2) run all of its components without any binary blobs (e.g., 100% free firmware), as this is the only way to build trust into machines that will access our intimate thoughts and activity and be able to share that with third parties without our consent.
Freedom requires free software requires free hardware.
Danja Vasiliev: hardware incompatibilities are often caused by the lack of free firmwares provided by the hardware manufacturers. so perhaps it make sense to speak of the right "to free firmware released in timely fashion for every new hardware on the market"
hellekin: Hardware vendors usually don't get any profit from guaranteeing user's freedom, so they do not care about ensuring compatibility with free software. Worse, when you buy a computer, most will tell you "it's compatible with Linux", but they fail to understand that it's not enough to safeguard your freedom. The hardware should be labeled to tell whether it can (1) run a free software BIOS replacement (e.g., Coreboot); and (2) run all of its components without any binary blobs (e.g., 100% free firmware), as this is the only way to build trust into machines that will access our intimate thoughts and activity and be able to share that with third parties without our consent. Freedom requires free software requires free hardware.
Danja Vasiliev: hardware incompatibilities are often caused by the lack of free firmwares provided by the hardware manufacturers. so perhaps it make sense to speak of the right "to free firmware released in timely fashion for every new hardware on the market"
despens: Perhaps vendors should be required to release a Free Software version of their firmware after a certain period of time?