FSF announces Librephone project
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Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#2This seems pretty relevant on the heels of yesterday's popular discussion on how "Free software Hasn't Won" [0] in terms of tools available to the average consumer.
Just because pieces are open-source (or "free software") doesn't mean the autonomy and capabilities we want are necessarily present in the overall system.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#3> Practically, Librephone aims to close the last gaps between existing distributions of the Android operating system and software freedom. The FSF has hired experienced developer Rob Savoye (DejaGNU, Gnash, OpenStreetMap, and more) to lead the technical project. He is currently investigating the state of device firmware and binary blobs in other mobile phone freedom projects, prioritizing the free software work done by the not entirely free software mobile phone operating system LineageOS.
The time is right for this project I hope they succeed.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#4Ultimately, I don't think the most important challenge is in binary firmware blobs, but the software which people depend upon to run their lives. What does it matter if you can run a completely free software stack on your phone, if your bank software (or your required government ID, as is looking depressingly likely) requires you to run a Big Tech approved phone OS? Perhaps the FSF can't do much about that, but that is where I feel they could truly make the biggest difference for freedom for the average user.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#5Ultimately, I don't think the most important challenge is in binary firmware blobs, but the software which people depend upon to run their lives. What does it matter if you can run a completely free software stack on your phone, if your bank software (or your required government ID, as is looking depressingly likely) requires you to run a Big Tech approved phone OS? Perhaps the FSF can't do much about that, but that…
It becomes much harder to force attestation on people if there's a significant user base that runs alternative operating systems.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#6Ultimately, I don't think the most important challenge is in binary firmware blobs, but the software which people depend upon to run their lives. What does it matter if you can run a completely free software stack on your phone, if your bank software (or your required government ID, as is looking depressingly likely) requires you to run a Big Tech approved phone OS? Perhaps the FSF can't do much about that, but that…
It becomes much harder to force attestation on people if there's a significant user base that runs alternative operating systems.
Do you really NEED to be forced to attest if you can make your phone look like any damn PC using a browser?
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
It becomes much harder to force attestation on people if there's a significant user base that runs alternative operating systems.
Do you really NEED to be forced to attest if you can make your phone look like any damn PC using a browser?
I can’t tap my PC to buy a burrito at Chipotle.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
It becomes much harder to force attestation on people if there's a significant user base that runs alternative operating systems.
Do you really NEED to be forced to attest if you can make your phone look like any damn PC using a browser?
Some banks require app confirmation for PC-initiated transactions, using play integrity requiring apps. Cause security, you know.
Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#9Re: FSF announces Librephone project
#10https://librephone.fsf.org/FAQ.html
Currently scope only seems to go as far as the operating system