Following yesterday’s Linux 6.18 kernel release, GNU Linux-libre 6.18-gnu is out today as the latest release of this free software purist kernel that will drop/block drivers from loading microcode/firmware considered non-free-software and other restrictions in the name of not pushing binary blobs even when needed for hardware support/functionality on otherwise open-source drivers.
With Linux 6.18 there are more upstream kernel drivers dependent upon binary-only firmware/microcode. Among the drivers called out this cycle are the open-source NVIDIA Nova-Core Rust driver as well as the modern Intel Xe driver. Nova-Core is exclusively designed around the NVIDIA GPU System Processor (GSP) usage and thus without its firmware the driver is inoperable. Similarly, with the newer Intel Xe driver depending upon the GuC micro-controller without its firmware the support is also rendered useless.
You have a hardware device that is fully proprietary and closed. The firmware cannot be programmed or upgraded.
The FSF is fine with this hardware. Stop me if you disagree.
Version two of the hardware above is released. The firmware can now be upgraded. The initial firmware available is closed source. It is actually the exact same firmware used in version one but it now ships as a binary blob. Since the hardware is programable, open source firmware could be written but none yet exists.
The FSF says that this hardware must be avoided. The binary blob cannot be handled or distributed. Version one of the hardware is still fine and is preferred. Again, stop me if I am wrong. Note, the firmware is the exact same.
Ok, now answer “where they say that?” for yourself.
If hardware is out of the scope of the FSF (totally reasonable) then firmware should also be outside of the scope of the FSF.
Because their stance today is that hardware that is more open is worse. Hardware can be as proprietary and closed as you like as long as you do not make it programmable. If you do, the FSF may have a problem. Insanity.
Free software is better than non-free software. The FSF and I agree.
Open firmware is better than closed firmware. This is my view but the FSF only has an opinion when the firmware is upgradable (as you state above). Silly.
Programmable hardware is always better than non-programmable hardware. That is my view, but the FSF disagrees when no open firmware exists. Dumb.
Obviously, version two is better than version one in the technical sense, because it has more capabilities. But it is also obvious that version one does not deny its users any abilities that it affords instead to the vendor- neither the user nor the vendor can modify the firmware inside the device, so the vendor doesn’t exercise more control over the sold device than the user does. Obviously, the vendor designed the device, but that’s as far as their influence over it extends.
Version two, on the other hand, it programmable. This make it technically superior, but since the firmware is proprietary, the user is denied the right to view source code and modify the firmware, a right which the vendor continues to hold after the device is sold to the customer. In other words, the vendor has a right over the device under copyright law that the customer does not.
That’s not an ideal situation, and it’s the one the FSF is trying to prevent. You have every right to buy hardware with firmware encumbered by such restrictions, I have myself. But it’s not dumb to care about one day freeing yourself of such restrictions, and that won’t happen if no one is pushing back on the practice.
Surely you don’t think all free software was technically superior to all proprietary software at the start of the movement, and surely you don’t think it even is now. But if you still think it’s a good thing that we have the free software ecosystem, then perhaps you sometimes care about things other than pure technical superiority. If so, you ought to be able to understand the FSF’s position here.
I ask for reference to source material, you repeat your own word.
Fine, i will do it myself.