GNU Linux-libre 6.4-gnu (When I'm Six Point Four)

[Freedo]

Hey, everyone!  Good evening!

This is Freedo, the spokespenguin for the GNU Linux-libre project.

Welcome to tonight's announcement.

[instrumental recording of The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" starts
playing in the background]

GNU Linux-libre 6.4-gnu is ready!

git://linux-libre.fsfla.org/releases.git/
tags {scripts,sources,logs}/v6.4-gnu

Scripts for the 6.4-gnu series were first published for rc6, a couple of
weeks ago, and haven't needed changes since.


Coming soon:

- https://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/releases/6.4-gnu/

-- compressed tarballs

-- incremental patches


- Freesh (.deb) binaries
  https://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/freesh/


- RPMFreedom (.rpm) binaries
  https://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/rpmfreedom/


# Artwork

For this release, my tutor Jason wrote a parody:
"When I'm Six Point Four", and Alex recorded it.  Enjoy!
https://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/6point4.en.html

We also chose a picture from Jason's collection, taken about a year ago
(during the 5.18-gnu cycle), of myself at the computer, testing the
final version of the cleaning up scripts.
https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/~freedo/#news

(-: Didn't I already look cute back then? :-)

The picture is apropos because 6.4 upstream weeded out one of the few
remaining blobs that were still included in their "source" releases.
Unfortunately, some such blobs disguised as sources still remain in
their releases.  So we keep on weeding them out.


# Cleaning up changes

- vs6624 was dropped upstream (-: Yay! :-)

- op-tee, rtl8710b, qcom cloud AI, and bluetooth nxp protocol drivers
  have had their blob loaders neutered

- weeded out blob names in qcom aarch64 dts files

- adjusted weeding-out of files that got moved:

-- x86 microcode docs

-- x86 Android tablets

-- QAT crypto drivers


For fresh news about GNU Linux-libre, follow me in the Fediverse.
https://mastodon.social/@freedo

My tutors are also on IRC: #gnu-linux-libre on libera.chat.

That was all, everyone.  Be Free! with GNU Linux-libre.

*waves wings*


# Rolling credits

What is GNU Linux-libre?
------------------------

  GNU Linux-libre is a Free version of the kernel Linux (see below),
  suitable for use with the GNU Operating System in 100% Free
  GNU/Linux-libre System Distributions.
  http://www.gnu.org/distros/

  It removes non-Free components from Linux, that are disguised as
  source code or distributed in separate files.  It also disables
  run-time requests for non-Free components, shipped separately or as
  part of Linux, and documentation pointing to them, so as to avoid
  (Free-)baiting users into the trap of non-Free Software.
  http://www.fsfla.org/anuncio/2010-11-Linux-2.6.36-libre-debait

  Linux-libre started within the gNewSense GNU/Linux distribution.
  It was later adopted by Jeff Moe, who coined its name, and in 2008
  it became a project maintained by FSF Latin America.  In 2012, it
  became part of the GNU Project.

  The GNU Linux-libre project takes a minimal-changes approach to
  cleaning up Linux, making no effort to substitute components that
  need to be removed with functionally equivalent Free ones.
  Nevertheless, we encourage and support efforts towards doing so.
  http://libreplanet.org/wiki/LinuxLibre:Devices_that_require_non-free_firmware

  Our mascot is Freedo, a light-blue penguin that has just come out
  of the shower.  Although we like penguins, GNU is a much greater
  contribution to the entire system, so its mascot deserves more
  promotion.  See our web page for their images.
  http://linux-libre.fsfla.org/

  If you are the author of an awesome program and want to join us in
  writing Free (libre) Software, please consider making it an official
  GNU program and become a GNU Maintainer.  You can find instructions
  on how to do so at https://www.gnu.org/help/evaluation.  We look
  forward to hacking with you! :)


What is Linux?
--------------

  Linux is a clone of the Unix kernel [...]

(snipped from Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst)

-- 
Freedo, GNU Linux-libre's Mascot and Spokespenguin
https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/~freedo
https://mastodon.social/@freedo