Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > linux.debian.user > #212432

Re: How free is Debian

Show all headers | View raw

On Thu, 2019-08-08 at 17:37 +1000, Andrew McGlashan wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On 8/8/19 2:27 pm, Shahryar Afifi wrote:
> > Very well said. If debian free is not using amd64 microcode, so
> > what kernel module runs my cpu as 64bit?
> 
> Here's part of the problem.....
> 
> The CPU has it's own microcode, when you buy it; the motherboard
> manufacturer may or may not update the BIOS and if they do, then they
> may or may not provide an update to the microcode.
> 
> Now, you already have microcode, one way or another, using non-free
> to
> get an update to the microcode is the best you can do as you,
> theoretically know you can trust the source of the blob (as much as
> you trust Debian AND Intel of course.
> 
> You can download microcode directly from Intel, it won't stop it
> being
> a binary blob though.
> 
> If you really need more TOTALLY FREE, then consider RISC-V now or in
> the future; their may be other viable alternatives, but something
> will
> always get you.... like for instance the blob of firmware with your
> mouse or your monitor, even your keyboard.  And yes there are open
> source keyboards, but I'm not sure about other components.  Heck,
> even
> your HDD (of any type) has it's own firmware blobs, some of which can
> only be sent to the device and never read back.
> 
> So, I guess, totally free really means, give up on electronic gear
> altogether.
> 
> Cheers
> A.

Thank you for this acknowledgment.
Currently I have X61 with Middleton BIOS that claims to be free. Is
that also not the case?

Back to linux.debian.user | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

How free is Debian Shahryar Afifi <shahryarafifi@yahoo.com> - 2019-08-08 02:40 +0200
  Re: How free is Debian Judah Richardson <judahrichardson@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 03:20 +0200
  Re: How free is Debian Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2019-08-08 05:00 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 05:10 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian rhkramer@gmail.com - 2019-08-08 14:00 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Brad Rogers <brad@fineby.me.uk> - 2019-08-08 14:30 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2019-08-08 14:50 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 22:50 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2019-08-08 15:40 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 06:50 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 15:10 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2019-08-09 00:30 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 02:10 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Ben Caradoc-Davies <ben@transient.nz> - 2019-08-09 03:20 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2019-08-09 05:30 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2019-08-09 14:00 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 16:00 +0200
                Re: How free is Debian Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2019-08-09 16:40 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2019-08-10 10:00 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2019-08-10 10:20 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-10 15:00 +0200
                Re: How free is Debian Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2019-08-10 16:40 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Alessandro Vesely <vesely@tana.it> - 2019-08-09 18:00 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2019-08-09 18:20 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 19:40 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 18:20 +0200
  Re: How free is Debian David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2019-08-08 06:20 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian Shahryar Afifi <shahryarafifi@yahoo.com> - 2019-08-08 06:30 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 07:00 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian Andrew McGlashan <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> - 2019-08-08 09:40 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Shahryar Afifi <shahryarafifi@yahoo.com> - 2019-08-08 15:10 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2019-08-08 15:20 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2019-08-08 15:30 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Michael Stone <mstone@debian.org> - 2019-08-08 15:40 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2019-08-10 10:00 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian Andrew McGlashan <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> - 2019-08-08 16:50 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 23:10 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Andrew McGlashan <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> - 2019-08-09 07:30 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 13:30 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 16:10 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2019-08-08 15:20 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian john doe <johndoe65534@mail.com> - 2019-08-08 09:00 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2019-08-08 10:00 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 14:00 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian Alessandro Vesely <vesely@tana.it> - 2019-08-09 19:10 +0200

csiph-web