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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Why hasn't anyone built an entirely free computer yet? (lemmy.world)

submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by Zeon@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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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?

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[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I made a 3.2GHZ CPU in my garage just last week. You just need to be creative when you look at the parts at Home Depot.

I never said it worked.

[–] refurbishedrefurbisher@lemmy.sdf.org 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

If you give a million monkeys a piece of glass, one of them will eventually create a 3.2GHz Shakespeare.

[–] milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee 7 points 9 months ago

If my memory doth not deceive me, a pear shaking at 3.2GHz would be pretty hot.