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ARM Code for Raspberry Pi Goes Open Source (Video)
"The Raspberry Pi project relies heavily on Open Source and Free Software — heck, it's targeted by more than one Linux distro. But some of the hardware stack that makes up the Pi itself needs closed-source code to run; the code that runs all kinds of low-level hardware is often closed source and closed off. I got wind from project instigator and lead Eben Upton that the system-on-a-chip at the Raspberry Pi's heart is about to get a lot more open. Says Upton: "We're about to open source all of the remaining closed source ARM code for the Pi. This will make BCM2835 the first ARM multimedia SoC with a fully-open-source ARM user and kernel implementation." I spoke for a few minutes with Alex Bradbury, who runs the Linux software work for the project, about licensing and what the new code means not only for Raspberry Pi but for users and other OS projects." (Note: the sound quality on this translantic Skype call is poor. We suggest reading the transcript.) Get the code while it's hot.
I'm told that authorities are awaiting the results of an MRI for confirmation; but there are strong suspicions that Richard Stallman succeeded in burrowing in to Scott A. McGregor, concealing himself inside the host body, and gradually subverting the host's central nervous system.
Broadcom broke down and released open-source drivers for Linux back in Sept. of 2010. See LWN. They then joined the Linux Foundation in early 2011 (reference).
Their reputation for being open-source-hostile is well-deserved, but not entirely up-to-date. I can understand why people continue to avoid them, but it may not be strictly necessary any more. I haven't researched how well their open-source drivers work, because I haven't needed to in the brief period of time that it's been an option, so that may or may not be a factor as well.