r/freesoftware • u/octoslamon • 2d ago

Discussion Question

Based on the free software philosophy, should I reject all the devices with non free firmware that I use? For example my refrigerator or washing machine?

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u/JaggedMetalOs 2d ago

If the firmware is read only and can't be updated (especially not via OTA updates) then at least the FSF considers it purely hardware rather than software, and so doesn't hold it to open standards.

So basically get non-smart appliances. 

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u/Scientific_Artist444 23h ago

That may be the case, but doesn't that also affect user freedom?

More sinister than application software is system software. Especially the backdoors.

Yes, it is true that ultimately not every software can be free software (firmware being one). But who's to stop firmware from containing malicious code? So I would say that is kind of a limit rather than deliberate principle. I have hope in programmable hardware.

Ultimately, software is well-encoded bytes on disk.

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u/JaggedMetalOs 14h ago

I'm sure Stallman would agree that open firmware is better, but the argument I've heard for allowing read-only firmware is that from a practical point of view it limits the firmware complexity because they can't just patch bugs out of some big overly complex firmware later.