Linux-Libre kernel

[Denis 'GNUtoo' Carikli]

Hi,

On Jan 30, 2018, Ben Gailly <ben at techtux.be> wrote:
> So, I'm a Kernel newbie. As a newbie, I know that I have to start
> somewhere somehow and after I'll have to choose a path.  

> I already have plenty of informations about kernel development (a lot
> of websites/books to learn of, teaching, tutorials, etc).  

> But as a Free Software advocate and enthusiast, I would like to start
> my path in learning how to develop kernels patches or drivers or
> modules only as Free Software, which could be part of the Linux-Libre
> kernel and not necessarly part of the mainline Linux Kernel...  

> Could you help me in providing informations on how to develop for the
> Linux-Libre kernel? How to remove/change codes to match the FSF
> guidelines?

There are two different projects:
- Linux: This is where the changes that can be upstreamed goes
- Linux-libre: This is where the deblob happens.

Depending on the people and the drivers involved, upstream may be
against making the driver work without a non-free firmware[3] for some
drivers, or, for other drivers, might want it to also work without the
firmware[4].

There is some work to do in that area to make devices drivers work
without nonfree firmwares, either by making the driver work without it
or by replacing the nonfree firmware with free software. There is a
Libreplanet wiki page with some details about this[1], but it doesn't
have much details on what can be done to improve the situation.

There is another page[2] that has more information on what can be done
to improve freedom with technical work. This includes many projects
that benefits from having such skills (kernel development).

References:
-----------
[1]https://libreplanet.org/wiki/LinuxLibre:Devices_that_require_non-free_firmware
[2]https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/ReverseEngineering

Denis.
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