MESSAGE
| DATE | 2006-05-23 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [rick@linuxmafia.com: Re: [Balug-talk] [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Its a sorry day for The Linux?Journal]
|
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Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 17:42:31 -0700
From: Rick Moen
To: balug-talk-at-lists.balug.org
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X-Mas: Bah humbug.
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Subject: Re: [Balug-talk] [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Its a sorry day for The
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Quoting Matt Thrailkill (matt-at-modestolan.com):
> I can't answer these questions. I don't personally morally object to
> them. If I extrapolate the arguments I see other people make against
> the use of any proprietary software, then those things cannot be
> tolerated. That extremism isn't practical though, because you have a
> hard time avoiding those things.
Actually, I was hoping to suggest that there are differences among
BLOBS: Some are strictly OS-neutral initialisation code for hardware.
That is not the case for, e.g., nVidia 3D video drivers or a whole slew
of "fakeraid" software-RAID drivers that include key (and OS-specific
functionality) inside them. Many of the latter are erroneously claimed
to be "open source" merely because they include a thin wrapper of source
code around a secret-sauce binary-only library core.
E.g., see the bottom of
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA/bios_rr2320.htm . See that link for
an "Open Source driver"? That's a baldfaced lie^W^W careless
mistatement of fact. (I track these things at "Serial ATA" on
http://linuxmafia.com/kb/Hardware/ .)
Of course, in an ideal world, we'd be able to stick to firmware ROMs
of which we have full source code, too -- because what is provided as a
hardware black-box capaibility need not necessarily remain so. (E.g.,
some of that stuff to initialise Prism II cards might usefully be done
different or subject to adjustment, if we had source code.) But my
point is that it doesn't raise the same _degree_ of concern as other
binary-only software.
> I concede my point, you have convinced me that there is no serious
> disconnect on morals vs. pragmatism and there aren't separate free
> software and open source movements -- they are in fact the same thing, I
> now see.
They're not the same thing -- but they aim towards the same end-result,
and (despite well-poisoning claims to the contrary from some) proceed
from the same desire for freedom on their part of their originators.
(You can impugn the motives of some of the _adherents_, if you wish,
but that's a different matter.)
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