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Ampere Computing Steps Up With Monthly Open-Source Firmware Releases

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  • Ampere Computing Steps Up With Monthly Open-Source Firmware Releases

    Phoronix: Ampere Computing Steps Up With Monthly Open-Source Firmware Releases

    We have covered previously how Ampere Computing has been working on open-source firmware for their Ampere Altra processors and their reference server designs while now they are stepping up to the plate and committing to a monthly release cycle for their open-source firmware...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    Nice to hear they're either upstream or upstreaming in several projects. I thank them for that. But I'm a little discouraged by
    Redistributable Firmware Binaries
    In addition to the open-source projects, Ampere will soon regularly make its proprietary firmware binaries both publicly available and freely redistributable. By doing so, a complete firmware solution will beavailable for Ampere platforms.
    It's not very clear whether they're talking of a ready to install binary alternative to the free firmware one can build himself or to additional nonfree blobs that are required for all the free firmware to work at all. From the wording I fear maybe DDR code or some installable boot stuff could require blobs, redistributable but proprietary, like so many other vendors (well some vendors don't even make it redistributable). But I haven't looked into that. Does anyone know the list of blobs ?

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    • #3
      Redistributable Firmware Binaries
      In addition to the open-source projects, Ampere will soon regularly make its proprietary firmware binaries both publicly available and freely redistributable. By doing so, a complete firmware solution will be available for Ampere platforms.
      The keywords there is just make it available. It's to encourage that they continue the "natural" way (as of now) to get the new firmware while adding the possibility to get open source Firmware in the future (so it doesn't sound like, "okey we are dropping binary blobs for open source").

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      • #4
        So, are they open sourcing something or not ?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Danny3 View Post
          So, are they open sourcing something or not ?
          As usual in this space it will be "something, but not everything."

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Sethox View Post

            The keywords there is just make it available. It's to encourage that they continue the "natural" way (as of now) to get the new firmware while adding the possibility to get open source Firmware in the future (so it doesn't sound like, "okey we are dropping binary blobs for open source").
            If you want no required binary blobs, that's pretty much just a Raptor POWER9 system.

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