Re: [GNU-linux-libre] PureOS non-free repo

[Jean Louis]

On Fri, Jan 19, 2018 at 09:16:49PM -0800, Jason Self wrote:
> Alexandre Oliva <address@hidden> wrote ..
> > It certainly sounds odd.  But, honestly, right now I'm more
> > concerned that updates for PureOS seem to have been published in a
> > non-free repo. Specifically, non-free microcode for CPUs affected
> > by Spectre.  Surely we don't mean to endorse distros that do that,
> > do we? Purism's messaging seems to attempt to distance their new
> > nonfree repos and dists from PureOS, but...  I fail to see the
> > difference between that and what Debian does.  But then, I haven't
> > looked very closely.  Am I missing something?
> 
> >
> https://puri.sm/posts/purism-patches-meltdown-and-spectre-variant-2-both-included-in-all-new-librem-laptops/
> > https://deb.puri.sm/pureos/dists/purism-nonfree/>
> > https://deb.puri.sm/pureos/pool/non-free/i/intel-microcode/>>
> > Thoughts?
> 
> It seems similar in some ways and dissimilar in others.
> 
> My understanding is that the challenge with Debian's non-free stuff 
> is "the repository is hosted on many of the project's main servers,
> and people can readily find these nonfree packages by browsing
> Debian's online package database and its wiki." (To quote from the
> common distros page.)
> 
> Purism seems to avoid at least some of this this by having it on a
> different domain, and I don't seem to find information at
> http://pureos.net about installing the
> proprietary software.

That is good that there is no information.

Free GNU operating system can be free on one
domain while other domain selling laptops
requiring some proprietary software.

Then again, such laptop sales shall not be
promoted as having operating system endorsed by
FSF if such is not fully free.

But that is all theoretical statement.

Intel processors already contain inside Intel
Management Engine, isn't that modified MINIX
inside?

That is proprietary software within the CPU. It
means there is no current solution to have Intel
Management Engine as free software, it further
means that majority of Intel run computers are
running non-free software on the CPU itself.

The question is does the update of the Intel
Management Engine constitute part of the operating
system or not?

If such update is distributed by the operating
system, then is the distribution free?

Or shall such update be ignored, as it is maybe
not part of the operating system?

Even those computers using Libreboot are still
using the Intel Management Engine. That is
different branch of the fight for privacy. Best
would be replacing Intel with free CPU. But does
it exist?

Jean Louis