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https://www.osnews.com/story/133093/review-blackbird-secure-desktop-a-fully-open-source-modern-power9-workstation-without-any-proprietary-code/>
"There’s a spectrum of openness when it comes to computers. Most people hover
somewhere between fully closed – proprietary hardware, proprietary operating
system – and partly open – proprietary hardware, open source operating system.
Even if you run Linux on your AMD or Intel machine, you’re running it on top of
a veritable spider’s web of proprietary firmware for networking, graphics, the
IME, WiFi, BlueTooth, USB, and more. Even if you opt for something like a
System76 machine, which has open firmware as a BIOS replacement and to cover
some functions like keyboard lighting, you’re still running lots of closed
firmware blobs for all kinds of components. It’s virtually impossible to free
yourself from this web.
Virtually impossible, yes, but not entirely impossible. There are options out
there to run a machine that is entirely open source, from firmware all the way
up to the applications you run. Sure, I can almost hear you think, but it’s
going to be some outdated, slow machine that requires tons of tinkering and
deep knowledge, out of reach of normal users or people who just want to buy a
computer, take it out of the box, and get going.
What if I told you there is a line of modern workstations, with all the modern
amenities we’ve come to expect, that is entirely open? The instruction set, the
firmware for the various components, the boot environment, the operating
system, and the applications? No firmware blobs, no closed code hiding in
various corners, yet modern performance, modern features, and a full, modern
operating system?"
Via Hank G.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
