GNU Linux-libre For Linux

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Last updated: Nov 25, 2019 GPL

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The official GNU Libre Linux kernel that doesn't ship with any proprietary firmware. #Non-free software #Software libre #Kernel libre #Linux #Kernel #Libre

Description

Linux-libre is a version of the official Linux kernel with the non-free software removed. The official "vanilla" Linux kernel from Linus Torvalds, which is distributed on kernel.org has non-free software in it. Here is one example:

Code:

/* * tg3.c: Broadcom Tigon3 ethernet driver. * * Copyright (C) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 David S. Miller ([email protected]) * Copyright (C) 2001, 2002, 2003 Jeff Garzik ([email protected]) * Copyright (C) 2004 Sun Microsystems Inc. * Copyright (C) 2005-2007 Broadcom Corporation. * * Firmware is: * Derived from proprietary unpublished source code, * Copyright (C) 2000-2003 Broadcom Corporation. * * Permission is hereby granted for the distribution of this firmware * data in hexadecimal or equivalent format, provided this copyright * notice is accompanying it. */

As such, the GNU Linux-libre kernel ships with a deblob script that's being used to clean the upstream Linux kernel, as well as other kernels, to provide the Open Source and GNU/Linux community with a 100% free kernel.

What's new in GNU Linux-libre 5.4:

The bulk of the changes in deblob-check this cycle have to do with an attempted broadening of the potential firmware name patterns, that led to the addition of matchers for many false positives. I couldn't complete it in this cycle, but I left the new false positives in place, and a WIP comment next to the potential firmware name pattern indicating what I was getting at. Contributions are welcome.
There was only one new driver that required deblobbing, or rather disabling of blob loading: an ethernet driver for Intel Ethernet Connection E800 Series. Various other drivers needed adjustments to account mostly for updated blob names, but also occasional code movement: safexcel, amdgpu, i915, i2400m, i1480u, nitrox, r8169,
touchscreen_dmi, and skylake sound. The last remnants of the netx driver were removed, and so the corresponding deblobbing could be dropped as well.

Read the full changelog

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