Michael Poole <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thomas Bushnell BSG writes: >> And yet, in this case the non-freeness of the software isn't hurting >> the user. The point isn't whether the firmware "exists", the point is >> whether the user is being prevented from modifying it by licensing or >> non-source-distribution restrictions. > > When the firmware is burned into the device, the user is prevented > from modifying it in a rather more drastic and permanent fashion than > when the restrictions are a matter of missing code or permissions.
Indeed. If I want to flash various bits of hardware I have, I need to reverse engineer the flash method first. This isn't necessary if I have a driver that uploads an image on every boot. If the firmware isn't in flash, I'm completely screwed. -- Matthew Garrett | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
