GNU Linux-libre 4.7-gnu Deblobs More Drivers

With the fresh sources from last night's Linux 4.7 kernel release, the GNU Linux-libre folks have released their 4.7-gnu kernel.

For those unfamiliar with the GNU Linux-libre kernel, it removes functionality from the kernel for being able to load closed-source kernel modules. The Linux-libre kernel also removes support from drivers requiring closed-source firmware.

With regard to the Linux-libre 4.7-gnu kernels, "One newly-added driver, xhci-tegra, would have loaded blobs if we hadn't disabled its blob loading machinery. Various other drivers required deblobbing changes to clean up newer versions in the filenames of blobs they would induce users to install: radeon, i915 csr, mwifiex, brcmfmac, iwlwifi, ath10k testmode, rtl8xxxu wifi, hfi1 Infiniband, and skylake audio."

With more Intel hardware requiring binary-only firmware, GPU firmware becoming more complicated and signed, and other factors, this is an increasingly uphill battle.

More details on this updated free software kernel via the mailing list announcement.