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The goal of the EOMA (Embedded Open Modular Architecture) project is to introduce the idea of being ethically responsible about both the ecological and the financial resources required to design, manufacture, acquire and maintain our personal computing devices. The EOMA68 standard is a freely-accessible, royalty-free, unencumbered hardware standard formulated and tested over the last five years around the ultra-simple philosophy of "just plug it in: it will work".
With devices built following this standard, one can upgrade the CPU-card (consisting of CPU, RAM and some local storage) of a device while keeping the same housing (e.g. laptop). One can also use the CPU-card in different devices (e.g. unplug CPU-card from laptop, plug into desktop); or use a replaced/discarded CPU-card from a laptop for NAS storage or a micro-server. There are housings currently available for a laptop (can be 3D-printed in full, or in part to replace parts that break) and a micro-desktop; and there are plans for others like routers or tablets in the future.
There are multiple articles talking about this project and analyzing the hardware, for example from ThinkPenguin, CNXSoft or EngadgetNG. There is also a recent live-streamed video introducing the project.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 01 2016, @06:01PM
As I posted on slashdot, the device while neat is under spec'ed for modern desktop usage. It has too little ram and too little storage space. It would be better suited as a alternative that is completely open to the raspberry pi and similar.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 01 2016, @06:06PM
That is how these small projects start off. No economy of scale, and takes time to get better specs. It is an ideological project meant to give users control over their own hardware. If you're looking for a product to compete with the slave labor factories of Asia, then you're doing it wrong.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 02 2016, @12:47AM
Even as an ideological project it fails. All arm cpus in the past decade more or less have had a trusted execution core that is not accessible by the rest of the system. In phones this is the drm cpu that makes sure the media you play on it is legit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 02 2016, @02:48AM
Is that the case with this one? Why would the FSF seriously consider endorsing this, then?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 03 2016, @06:32AM
The FSF wouldn't.
And the campaign would refund your money if you pledge for a Libre Tea computer card and no RYF certification is obtained.
https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/criteria [fsf.org]
No Spying or back doors
Please be aware that we can't check products for spy features or back doors, but if we find out about any we will drop our endorsement unless they are promptly removed.
Further, because spyware or a back door may take many forms, we will need to work out precise criteria as we go along. The criteria stated below are our first attempts, and we may change them if we come across examples which they handle wrong.
"Spyware" is software that transmits or makes available to anyone other than the owner any information about the owner's or the product's identity, location or activity except (1) when the owner asks to do so, (2) when inevitable due to communication protocols used, or (3) when required by law. In the case 3 applies, the product should come with prominent warning, plus a URL for where to obtain more information.
A "back door" is any functionality that gives remote control over any aspect of the device operation or its software. It is normal for computers to have facilities for updating software or for letting people log in remotely. These become back doors when they are enabled by default.
(Score: 1) by lkcl on Tuesday August 02 2016, @07:11PM
Even as an ideological project it fails. All arm cpus in the past decade
more or less have had a trusted execution core that is not accessible
by the rest of the system. In phones this is the drm cpu that
makes sure the media you play on it is legit.
everything that you've said, whilst true for *specific* ARM SoCs from
manufacturers who *specifically* work hand-in-hand with the cartels
and U.S. Government spying agencies, for this *SPECIFIC* SoC that
has been chosen, everything that you've said is completely false.
i would not work on a project for five years to bring you an RYF
Certifiable device if i had *any* indication that the A20 was designed
to spy on people.
you can get a *small* glimpse into the evaluation process that has
been ongoing for five years, here:
https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68/micro-desktop/updates/picking-a-processor [crowdsupply.com]
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday August 02 2016, @04:47AM
Byfield addressed this very issue in a recent blog. Why Free Hardware Fails [linux-magazine.com]
He pretty much agrees with your assessment.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by mafm on Monday August 01 2016, @06:17PM
It's true that the specs of the current CPU-card are probably not enough for desktop usage for many people. Some people who don't use many applications or browser tabs at the same time might be happy with the specs for desktops, or they might like to have an extremely light laptop that they can 3D-print and repair for years if parts break.
I think that it's good for micro-servers now and for years to come, or routers or devices like tablets, if the ecosystem thrives and such housings are created (there are plans about that).
Also, there are plans to look into ARM 64-bit CPUs (and other architectures) for future CPU-cards, some work has already been done in that regard.
(Score: 2, Informative) by lkcl on Tuesday August 02 2016, @07:20PM
As I posted on slashdot, the device while neat is under spec'ed for modern desktop usage. It has too little ram and too little storage space. It would be better suited as a alternative that is completely open to the raspberry pi and similar.
no it would not, and you're missing the point entirely of the exercise.
first point: let's reference the conversation - https://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9462323&cid=52617167 [slashdot.org]
summary: to even remotely consider entering the over-saturated SBC market would be totally pointless. i have better things to do with my time, because i have the ability to predict issues and have the guts to stand up and solve them even if i don't immediately know how.
second point: modular upgradeable architectures are, by definition, upgradeable. by backing the project now, you're supporting us *being able* to bring upgrades in a continous, affordable and ethical way. i've found two SoC candidates that i'm investigating: one's the R8 (so we could bring people a $20 computer card) and the other's the Samsung Octa-core A64 which we could do a massive upgrade in about a year's time, instantly quelling all of the complaints.
third point: if you want to carry on using a backdoored processor (from intel or AMD), please feel free to continue to explore that space. for everybody else: aside from X200s which are regularly failing in the field due to their age and being over-stressed by modern OSes and uses, there really isn't anything else. we've looked.
fourth point: comparing this project to mass-volume priced well-established incumbents is not going to help you... or this project. i'm seeing this mistake being made enough times now that i'm going to do a special update about it. you can't possibly seriously compare a crowd-funded project with a MOQ of 250 units and an ethical business model to *any* profit-maximising unethical multi-billion-dollar company like apple, HP or Dell and expect me to take your anonymous comments seriously.
does that clarify matters for you?