Intel has often been portrayed as the golden child within the Linux/BSD community and by those desiring a fully-free system without tainting their kernel with binary blobs while wanting a fully-supported open-source driver. The Intel Linux graphics driver over the years hasn't required any firmware blobs for acceleration, compared to AMD's open-source driver having many binary-only microcode files and Nouveau also needing blobs — including firmware files that NVIDIA still hasn't released for their latest GPUs. However, beginning with Intel Skylake and Broxton CPUs, their open-source driver will now too require closed-source firmware. The required "GuC" and "DMC" firmware files are for handling the new hardware's display microcontroller and workload scheduling engine. These firmware files are explicitly closed-source licensed and forbid any reverse-engineering. What choices are left for those wanting a fully-free, de-blobbed system while having a usable desktop?
Time to revive the Open Graphics Project...?
(those binary blobs may contain root kits)
(Score: 3, Touché) by wantkitteh on Sunday June 07 2015, @07:59AM
How about you go to a convention of Linux install geeks and borrow their Wifi while you're there?
(Score: 1, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 07 2015, @09:34AM
The concept - and often the reality - of "setting up or using Linux requires technical abilities well beyond that of a normal consumer" is the primary reason Linux is an afterthought in the desktop market. Attitudes like yours are one of reasons it will always be that way.
BTW, if Linux on the desktop was a much bigger player it wouldn't be treated as a red-headed step child when it comes to drivers.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday June 07 2015, @07:12PM
Typical naive and juvenile nonsense, aiming to put Linux down. My problem, my question, in no way addresses the difficulty of setting up a Linux box. I do that all the time. My question specifically addresses implementing a clean installation of Wayland, with no X session available.
It's pretty obvious that you have no clue, but thanks for playing!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday June 07 2015, @07:14PM
LOL - I'm interested in the WAYLAND install geeks convention. Linux is a piece of cake, if you accept default applications. Getting X installed is almost as easy as falling off a log!
(Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Sunday June 07 2015, @07:49PM
Glad someone saw the humour ;)
I know Ubuntu is the current go-to Linux distro when people want to moan, but I recently installed Mint on my latest self-build. Everything worked out of the box. The Intel AC wifi card, the AMD graphics card, the Realtek audio chipset and both ethernet ports, the USB3 controllers from god-knows-who, everything. While I appreciate the political issues around closed-source/open-source hardware drivers for Linux, demanding open-source drivers or nothing when we've finally got to the point where an everything-working-out-of-the-box is even possible could be construed as cutting off your nose to spite your face. As long as drivers of any kind are available, I'll be quite happy to use them*.
(*terms and conditions apply)