Alexandre Oliva (LP09)

Freeing the kernel and the Linux-libre project

http://fsfla.org/~lxoliva/fsfla/Linux-libre.en.pdf

History

• 2006 gNewSense's find-firmware and gen-kernel remove nonfree software from the kernel.
• 2007 BLAG's deblob and Linux-libre
• 2008 FSFLA's deblob-check

Be Free!

• FSFLA campaign to promote software freedom and social responsibility as a way to promote free software.

http://fsfla.org/se-libre

Linux is not free software

Includes code without sources, under various licenses.

Network driver with 100+Kb of actual binary executable code with a clear proprietary license.

Another network driver from the same vendor is 300Kb of "data" under a license that allows combination with only the GPL and not other free software licenses.

Liberating Linux

Remove:

• sourceless code
• incompatibly-licensed data/code
• requests for non-free software
• corresponding info from docs
• incomprehensible code/data?

The result is suitable for 100% free systems.

Scripts detect proprietary blobs in the kernel.

Source tarballs tracking upstream Linux.

Pristine builds for popular distros. Ali's Freedom Shoppe.

Builds tracking upstream distributions.

Adoption

• gNewSense
• BLAG
• FREEE :-(
• Trisquel
• Musix GNU+Linux (underway)
• Dyne:bolic (next release)
• Users of other distros

Challenges

• Distros want/need popularity
• Blobs attract more users?
• Incentive to betray users, weaken communities
• Prisoners' dilemma, iterated
• Defection feeds the aggressors
• Tragedy of the commons

How can we change this picture

• Break the myth of breakage
• Lead by example, "Be Free"
• Educate users, to shift the incentives
• Seek credible commitment among distros
• Take it upstream, uphill?