@libreleah@mas.to
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

libreleah

@libreleah@mas.to

passionate nut who rants on irc and likes coreboot and openbsd. libreboot founder and lead developer (libreboot.org). bios on social media accounts are so asinine because you can't really say much that is meaningful. everyone has a different perception than you do. judge me on merit. every post by me reflects the opinion of my employer (also me). i don't know everything but i try to know enough - if i say something wrong, i want you to challenge me. they/them

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

I did this for fun:

https://gnuboot.vimuser.org/news/gnuboot20230717.html

https://gnuboot.vimuser.org/

And now I'll actually get back to working on Libreboot. GNU Boot is inferior, for reasons explained here: https://libreboot.org/news/policy.html - but they wanted to fork Libreboot. Here is GNU Boot:

https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnuboot/

They struggled for months to get devs. They use super old revisions of Libreboot. I decided to help them, for fun :)

This version that I made is based on Libreboot from today, intended for re-use by the GNU project.

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

The GNU Boot people actually sent me a cease and desist email, citing trademark infringement. Amazing.

Despite the original site clearly stating that it's unofficial. I literally made it to help them. You know, to help them use newer Libreboot because they use old Libreboot and even older coreboot.

Anyway, I complied with their polite request and have renamed the project to non-GeNUine Boot. The release archive is re-compiling.

https://notgnuboot.vimuser.org/news/nongenuineboot20230717.html

Personally, I like the new name better.

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

i got a reply from Ariadne Conill @ariadne saying i should post the C&D. here it is.

it was pgp signed too, but also encrypted; i didn't know how to show the text unencrypted with the pgp signature intact pertaining to it, so here is a screenshot instead:

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

@indigoparadox Yeah, that surprised me too. I never intended for people to get that impression. Hopefully nobody will get confused, now that I renamed it.

I think the entire concept behind GNU Boot is fundamentally flawed, for reasons explained here:
https://libreboot.org/news/policy.html

However, I also saw that they needed help. Even if I disagree with something, sometimes it's fun to work on an interesting problem. Sort of like creating a monster. Help was given, and rejected. Oh well, it's their loss :)

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

Censored Libreboot c20230710 released!

https://libreboot.org/news/censored-libreboot20230710.html

This is a very... special new release of Libreboot, provided as a proof of concept. I had a lot of fun with this!

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

FUN FACT:

You should always read the manual, for any software, especially Libreboot, and especially when updating/installing Libreboot. I've added these warnings everywhere on libreboot.org, see:

https://libreboot.org/download.html#read-this-before-updating-libreboot-or-you-might-brick-your-machine

On some platforms, the release ROMs by default are not suitable to be flashed, extra steps are required before flashing.

I've added this to the bug tracker:

https://codeberg.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues/92

PLEASE read carefully the instructions on libreboot.org, before updating/installing.

Thanks.

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

Every now and then I like to promote random projects/companies that I think are excellent. Today's pick: Libre Computer. Site:

https://libre.computer/

They sell SBCs with Linux, similar to Raspberry Pi but greater emphasis on libre software. We document one of their SBCs in Libreboot for setting up SPI flashers:

https://libreboot.org/docs/install/spi_generic.html

Source here:

https://github.com/orgs/libre-computer-project/repositories

@vitali64sur is porting tf-a BL2 (e.g. raminit) to it (WIP):

https://git.vitali64.duckdns.org/misc/trustedfirmware-a.git/log/?h=wip/gxbb

(sorry, first post had bad link)

theresnotime, to random

I signed the #Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia UK's open letter to UK government leaders asking to exempt @wikipedia and other public interest projects from the Online Safety Bill. If you care about free knowledge, join me. #ForFreeKnowledge https://wikimedia.org.uk/2023/06/online-safety-bill-open-letter/

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

@theresnotime @wikipedia I'm not sure what to make of this. Isn't all censorship bad?

Petitioning the government to exempt specific parties from censorship just gives undue endorsement of censorship.

The "Online Safety Bill", should be rejected outright. No ifs.

"Online safety" is such orwellian language, and I can't see how bureaucrats in the British state can protect people from the internet, which is a global network. Unless other major political powers start also censoring it...

oh wait

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

Libreboot 20230625 released!

https://libreboot.org/news/libreboot20230625.html

Brief summary of changes since 20230423 release:

  • Massive build system audit, bugs fixed. Cleaner BSD-like coding style now used for much of the logic.
  • Two new boards (HP 2570p and 8300 USDT)
  • Microcode-free ROMs available, as alternative to default ROMs that include it.
  • gru-* chromebook fixes: more reliable boot/shutdown
  • Better error handling in lbmk
  • Forked spkmodem-recv from GNU, pledged it and re-wrote in OpenBSD coding style
libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

Fun fact:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/23/russia-war-ukraine-based-on-lie-yevgeny-prigozhin/

There's a military coup underway in Russia. Putin might get deleted soon.

Of course, the plotters in the coup are the Wagner group, who have committed many serious war crimes.

Because, you know, they kill people for money. They're mercenaries. Here are some facts about Wagner mercenaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_Group

Evil bunch of cunts trying to coup an evil bunch of cunts, but maybe Ukraine will have the momentum it needs to re-take its country amid the chaos.

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

@strypey You could be right, but such information is also skewed by political repression by the apparatus of the Russian state. Who's to say that there aren't an abundance of socially liberal minded people within the country, who might rise to power?

I'm confident that there are plenty of good people in Russia, who will try to gain political power in the country. We don't hear their voices at present, due to censorship within Russia.

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

@strypey You could be right, but such information is also skewed by political repression in the apparatus of the Russian state. Who's to say that there aren't an abundance of socially liberal minded people within the country, who might rise to power?

I'm confident that there are plenty of good people in Russia, who will try to gain political power in the country. We don't hear their voices at present, due to censorship within Russia.

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

I decided to make it official.

https://libreboot.org/news/microcode.html

New Libreboot release soon!

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

I'm this close to a new stable release of Libreboot.

I'm once again leaving a build-test running overnight. I'm rigorously testing everything. Testing has also been performed iteratively, in the last few month.

The last stable release came out in July 2022.

Libreboot 20230622 or 20230623 is looking likely.

It's a very conservative release, almost entirely build system changes and 3 new boards added. Safety first.

After the release is when I go ham. Lots of new features/boards planned.

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

I feel like promoting a random free software project, that I use every day. That project is none other than Invidious, the web-based frontend that permits anonymous consumption of video content from youtube.com:

https://redirect.invidious.io/

Their code repository is here: https://github.com/iv-org/invidious

Invidious was recently the target of frivolous legal action by YouTube.com itself, and their Wikipedia article came under attack recently.

I encourage everyone to support Invidious.

Also yt-dlp project.

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

I'm postponing the Libreboot release another few days. It was due this weekend.

Libreboot is ready for a new stable release. I'm making it more stable over coming days.

A stable stable release.

Planned:

  • Tidy up docs, especially install docs.
  • Re-test build system, possibly tweak some behaviours.
  • Modify release build scripts to provide ROMs with and without microcode on x86 (currently, it only produces ROMs with).

That last one is actually WIP right now, in my local git repo of lbmk.

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

As many people know, Libreboot policy changed to allow microcode updates by default, on all x86 machines. This is a correct policy, and shall remain, because these updates provide critical security and stability fixes that Libreboot once lacked.

A vocal minority of users were unhappy with the change, and out of respect I did this before the last release:

https://libreboot.org/news/gm45microcode.html

Well, the new change mentioned in my last post is a continuation of that courtesy. Libreboot policy is about choice.

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

Can someone tell me how to put "citation needed" on Russian wikipedia? I'm translating a Russian article into English and noticed un-sourced material where I'm adding citation needed on the english text. I don't know how to do it properly on the actual Russian wikipedia.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me.

libreleah, to random
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

Editing Wikipedia is so much fun! I logged into my account for the first time in years today, and I've been submitting improvements to random articles. I'm currently improving an English article that has poor sourcing, by translating the German version, which is well-sourced, and using that to replace the text of the English version.

And I added a bunch of cites to random articles.

Everyone should edit for at least a day each month or an hour here, hour there on evenings if they have the time.

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

Wikipedia even has a "Random article" button. Just click it repeatedly until you find something that seems interesting.

That's how I stumbled upon a random Austrian art historian.

libreleah,
@libreleah@mas.to avatar

I just can't get over that surname. What a name. I'm intentionally using it in place of "he", when referring to said individual.

rose_alibi, to random
@rose_alibi@post.lurk.org avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    libreleah,
    @libreleah@mas.to avatar

    @rose_alibi obsolescence is merely a lack of imagination. support re-use, and the #RightToRepair

    also, put solar panels everywhere. even cars. the fact that EVs don't often have built-in solar for charging their batteries just blows my mind.

    yeah let's use the same electricity made from burning things, to charge our dubiously green electric cars. not many people realise how bad batteries are:

    https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/02/01/south-america-s-lithium-fields-reveal-the-dark-side-of-our-electric-future

    personally, i'm a huge fan of the humble bicycle. i ride mine with pride.

    libreleah,
    @libreleah@mas.to avatar

    @kornel @rose_alibi Well, a concept I've had in my head is to actually make the entire car solar.

    The chassis itself would be photovoltaic, entirely.

    It would be quite a feat of engineering, but a challenge nonetheless that car makers should (in my view) rise to.

    During daytime, it may be that this provides enough energy to run the car by itself, and people tend to drive a lot less during night time.

    It adds cost to construction, but would permit longer distances and reduces battery wear.

    libreleah,
    @libreleah@mas.to avatar

    @kornel @rose_alibi The weight of the photovoltaic material I don't imagine would be that much?

    On solar panels used atop roofs, much of the weight will be the support structure holding the material in place.

    In this case, that support structure is the existing car chassis.

    I hope car makers will explore this at some point. Especially as EVs become more power efficient. It might make for completely viable, battery-free and oil-free travel during daytime.

    The environmentalist's wet dream.

    libreleah,
    @libreleah@mas.to avatar

    @kornel @rose_alibi of course, EV or not, battery or not, too much cars clogging up the roads is still a problem for... human reasons.

    i bring you back to the humble bicycle.

    the dutch do it. there are more bicycles than people, in the netherlands.

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