Free Soft&Hardware Enthusiast @goatwildernesscollective@librem.one

[$] PostmarketOS: Linux for phones and more

In 2016, Oliver Smith reached a point of frustration with the short lifespan of updates for his Android phone. Taking matters into his own hands, he began developing postmarketOS, [...]

https://lwn.net/Articles/979522/ #LWN

it's utterly ridiculous to me that we can't include firmware for phones (like wifi, Bluetooth, gpu firmware) in the linux-firmware git repository without the OEM providing consent.

in the case of Qualcomm phones:

The firmware is locked to the device via a signature, it can't be replaced.
It is already obtainable easily via the vendors website or on GitHub
It usually barely differs from the development board firmware which is already in the linux-firmware repo

Vendors generally aren't confident enough to explicitly distribute firmware with a suitable license because Qualcomm haven't given the go ahead (and they either can't, or won't ask permission).

The few examples we do have are for the Lenovo ThinkPad x13s, where the legal side was a non-trivial exercise as i understand it.

Even if Qualcomm greenlit OEMs invoicing redistributable licenses with their firmware builds (which is something i think they should do), we'd still need OEMs to actually do it... And they might have their own value add and silly lawyers who think NOT doing it gives them some kind of advantages.

The whole situation is so ridiculously stupid. And to top it all off it's not like anyone actually cares. There are many people redistricting firmware for Android phones and ofc it's totally fine - because there's literally nothing to gain by preventing access to these blobs.

I wonder what would happen if someone just submitted blobs for a phone to linux-firmware...

phosh 0.40.0 is out 🚀📱:

- #phosh: more quick toggles (dark style, mobile data). Allow suspend when device is locked. 🐛 fixes. Tweaks for #Rust binding generation
- #phoc fling gesture for phosh's top and home bar. 🐛 fixes.
- #mobilesettings: allow to tweak shell layout, lock delay and plugin ordering via ☝️

Check out the full release notes at https://phosh.mobi/releases/rel-0.40.0/

🙏 to everyone who contributed to this release.

#phosh #librem5 #pinephone #gtk #wlroots #gnome #linux #mobile #LinuxMobile

Reverse-Engineered Vivante Driver Brings Improved Performance & Fixes For Linux 6.11

The Etnaviv kernel graphics driver that provides reverse-engineered open-source support for Vivante graphics (and NPU) IP has seen a fresh round of patches ready to go for queuing in DRM-Next ahead of the Linux 6.11 cycle kicking off in mid-July...
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Etnaviv-Driver-Linux-6.11

The government can't justify its TikTok ban by simply asserting national security interests. The First Amendment requires that any regulation of speech like the ban be precise and necessary, even for national security concerns. https://www.eff.org/press/releases/government-has-extremely-heavy-burden-justify-tiktok-ban-eff-tells-appeals-court

"#iPhones and #iPads are not general purpose computers" states #Apple. I vehemently disagree!!

(More about the @fsfe 's work on this and how you can help
https://fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20240627-01.html )

ive said it before and I'll say it again

we call it AdBlocking because that's what most people use it for

but it's really just a way to control what elements do and do not display on all websites or some

screen reader users often need to block some elements that are NOT ads to make a site functional (although often ads as well)

Banning ad blockers is not just a privacy concern or a quality of life concern or an Internet safety from malicious ads concern.

It's an accessibility concern

Switzerland mandates software source code disclosure for public sector: A legal milestone

The EMBAG law stipulates that all public bodies must disclose the source code of software developed by or for them, unless precluded by third-party rights or security concerns. This mandate aims to ensure greater transparency, security, and efficien ...continues

See https://gadgeteer.co.za/switzerland-mandates-software-source-code-disclosure-for-public-sector-a-legal-milestone/

#opensource #switzerland #technology

#Apple rejects MS-DOS emulator from the App Store? https://lifehacker.com/tech/apple-rejects-pc-emulators-from-app-store Seems like a long time to hold a grudge?

@cas and @verdre fixing USB C role switching on Oneplus 6 (i.e. it won't think headphones are a charger anymore) 🎧✨

As #Mozilla is busy adding AI crap to #Firefox, I would like to point out that it's about 13 years since they removed the #RSS button from default Firefox GUI, and six years since RSS support was completely dropped from Firefox.

Thus making feeds invisible and impossible to discover for most web users.

RSS/Atom/JSON feeds are an immensely useful and important tech that can help solve the content discovery problem *without* going through gatekeepers. 👀

But obviously not a priority for Mozilla.

JULIAN IS FREE!!!!!!

https://www.mimikama.org/assange-ist-frei/

welcome back dear!
i sure hope this shitshow is finally over.

The worst kind of tech hype is when something is portrayed as inevitable and unstoppable, with criticism or doubt blithely dismissed as "they don't get it".

Just because a giant tech company pours vast amounts of money down a toilet, that doesn't mean the toilet is going to start spewing gold coins into the air.

#Hype #Tech #TechBros #Journalism #TechNews