[Arm-netbook] Side-Topic: Liberating PocketCHIP

[mike.valk at gmail.com]

2017-08-08 12:11 GMT+02:00 Pablo Rath <pablo at parobalth.org>:
> On Fri, Aug 04, 2017 at 10:17:22AM +0200, mike.valk at gmail.com wrote:
>> Well they've announced the CHIP to be more open and supported than
>> actually delivered.
>>
>> Now that is unfortunately common practice. And due to experiences in
>> the past, Poulsbo, Andriod, I already knew that they would not be able
>> to deliver that, especially at that price point. Hey they even
>> promised opensource 3d graphics if the crowdfunding was successful
>> enough, if I recall correctly.
>>
>> But that is just us. That might not, and probably is, be true for a
>> lot of their customers, like David. That's we're the evil lies I
>> think. Announcing a "libre" computer but fail to follow it through.
>> Yes there is open source software for you to use, yes there
>> schematics.
>
> Please correct me if I am wrong but I am pretty sure they did not
> announce a "libre" computer. They use the term "open source" and "very
> open source" on their kickstarter page. People in the "Open Source Camp"
> seem to be more inclined to accept a very open source system with
> proprietary wifi.

The term libre is somewhat new. The average joe knows about open
source these days. But if I drop the libre keyword they don't
understand.

And they did not get to "very open" in my opinion. But the level op
openness should be stated more clearly.

As it is the system for all functionality is tied to a 3.4 kernel and
fixed X11 version display stack. Or Android.

So for all the openness upgrading is neigh impossible. As is running a
generic Linux distribution.

So in my opinion opensource means that you can upgrade and the every
bit can be mainlined.

Firmware, however evil in it's own right, is independent on the OS
software stack and thus does not impair upgrading or switching OS
and/or OS versions. So hence the general acceptance I guess.

The MALI GPU requires a closed source driver dependent on the OS
stack. Thus locking you in place.

The Cedar VPU requires a closed source driver dependent on the OS
stack. Thus locking you in place. That situation, again no thanks to
NTC, is improving, albeit slowly.

Thankfully display drivers (That's not the GPU. So no 2d or 3d
acceleration!) are available or worked on. But no help from NTC.

So on paper nothing better than a Intel GMA500 (Poulsbo/PowerVR). E.g.
a Dell mini 1010 sold with Ubuntu, the trap I fell into, Three Ubuntu
iterations further and that was it for that Laptop.

When announcing an open source system. Companies should be very clear
on what they are selling.
Does it include firmware? (Acceptable ?)
Does it include closed source drivers? (That limits upgradablity and
usefull lifetime)
Do you provide a complete stack, Source, Compile chain, Documentation?
Do you provide schematics?
Do you provide a BoM?
Do you provide comprehensive component documentation free of NDA's?
etc.

Simply saying "we're selling an opensource system" is a farce. That's too broad.

>
> kind regards
> Pablo
>
>
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