Hello everyone,

I’ve been wondering, why has no one built an entirely free (as in freedom) computer yet? For humans to be unable to share each other’s knowledge to build one of the most important technologies ever created for society, how is it that we have yet to have full knowledge about how our systems operate?

I get that companies are basically the ones to blame, and I know there are alternatives like the Talos II by Raptor Computing, but still, how do we not have publicly available full schematics for just one modern computer? I’m talking down to firmware-level stuff like proprietary ECs, microcode, hard drive/SSD firmware, network controllers, etc. How do we not have a fully open system yet?

  • half_built_pyramids@lemmy.world
    60·
    10 months ago

    Also on top of what other folks are saying, making a complete modern computer is really fucking hard.

    No one is making a 3ghz CPU in their garage. Maybe folks are assembling stm32, or pis, or whatever into their own pcbs, but the machines that make the chips just aren’t hobby level yet. You just have to buy some stuff.

    Maybe that’s not your point. Maybe you’re okay with the processor being closed because it is fucking hard to make.

    Beyond the hardware now we’re talking making your own drivers and shit. There are resources out there like zephyr, but there’s millions of devices that aren’t covered.

    Try writing your own SPI interface for an established MCU and a common periferal. Make sure you include crc, don’t skip it. Maybe skimp and do i2c. It’s fucking hard.

    • Zeon@lemmy.worldOP
      82·
      10 months ago

      Absolutely, creating a complete modern computer is an incredibly complex task. Building a 3GHz CPU from scratch is a monumental challenge, and even assembling components like stm32 or Pis requires a level of expertise. Developing your own drivers, dealing with various peripherals, and ensuring compatibility is tough shit.

      However, once the software is written and released under a Free Software license, it will be there forever. As you’ve already stated, it’s hard, but not impossible. I share your hope that one day we will reach the point where such endeavors become more feasible.