Slashdot Mirror
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.
Maybe he saw some money on it... They've sold about a million units just by virtue of supporting Free Softwre, how many more can they sell if they really support it? Anyway, it doesn't cost too much to find out.
Also, maybe the chineese promissing* that the A10 will have an entirely free stack helped a bit on this decision.
* As far as I know, they still didn't deliver it... But just the promisse should be enough to change Broadcom's strategy.
Rethinking email
Perhaps the success of the RPi, coupled with people complaining about it being not-entirely-open, put enough pressure on Broadcom. Pressure in the sense of potential sales lost (possibly including other devices / markets that might use the same SoC). To the point where "It might be a commercial advantage if [fully open] checkbox can be marked" won out over "can't release sources due to to patents, 3rd parties, bla bla".
Of course I'm speculating here. But some markets are fiercely competitive, times are tough for tech companies, and every sale counts (and the allmighty $ speaks louder than RMS ;-).
I feel like the tech press really dropped the ball on this and swallowed the hype from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The drivers are not open source. The userspace stubs are.The stubs just use RPC to talk to the real driver which is still closed. Go look at the source code linked:
https://github.com/raspberrypi/userland/blob/master/interface/khronos/glxx/glxx_client.c#L488
The code here does nothing except RPC – this is not a driver. Which means that it’s not possible add OpenCL or new OpenGL versions. This announcement is a disgusting lie.