libreplanet-discuss
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: FSF continuously harms Free Hardware


From: Pen-Yuan Hsing
Subject: Re: FSF continuously harms Free Hardware
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2022 20:43:29 +0000
User-agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:91.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/91.5.0


Quick note:

There is the Open Source Hardware Association which maintains the definition of Open Source Hardware here which enshrines the four freedoms for free software into hardware designs:

https://www.oshwa.org/definition/

Yes, I fully recognize and acknowledge that they use the term "open source" instead of "free" as in freedom, and this is a crucial distinction. But just wanted to let everyone know it exists, so that if someone wants to work on free hardware, they are aware of what has already been done so that we don't have to re-invent any wheels.

There is also the recently-published standard DIN SPEC 3105:

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/DIN_SPEC_3105

Which defines more details for free hardware designs, including a recommended method of certifying them.

There are also the Open Know-How (OKH) and OKH-EC standards on best practices for documenting and publishing free hardware designs:

https://www.internetofproduction.org/open-know-how
https://okh-ec.openknowhow.org

I know some of the people behind these initiatives, in fact I think some of them consulted RMS when coming up with their definitions? Anyway, if there's serious interest in this from the free software community, I can help get you in touch with those people.

On 1/22/22 07:25, Jacob Hrbek wrote:
> I don't think the FSf has the skills or the staff resources to praise hardware with free designs.  But I am not in charge of that now, so I have no more to say about it. -- RMS

From my experience i don't feel like this process requires qualification and resources that FSF doesn't have as i think that the process should be:

Does it provide gerber (file that contains the PCB design and is used for manufacturing), schematics (file providing wiring of the components) and models for the chasis (e.g. STL files to fabricate the chasis on e.g. 3D printer) under GPLv3-complying license?
- Yes -> Certify it as Free Hardware Design
- No -> Don't certify it

Alternatively worst case scenario that takes the least amount of resources that i can think of would be to rename "Respects your Freedom" to "Respects Software Freedom" so that it's not taken as FSF endorsing proprietary hardware development.

I also think that h-node is a good website that provides community-maintained rating for various hardware, so just adding either a new rating (currently the A-Platinum is highest and used for non-free hardware designs) or new database value for hardware freedom would be optimal in my opinion.

> I will look at what the RepRap developers said, and what those other groups said.  (They never told me, damn it!)  I suspect they are looking for something that copyright simply cannot do. -- RMS

Thanks for looking into it I appreciate it.

On 1/22/22 05:41, Richard Stallman wrote:
I don't think the FSf has the skills or the staff resources to praise
hardware with free designs.  But I am not in charge of that now,
so I have no more to say about it.



reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]