On Sat, Dec 01, 2012 at 02:31:18PM -0500, Richard Stallman wrote: > Yes, the XO-4 will need a nonfree firmware program copied by the > operating system into the wireless device. > > That is disappointing news. It means we won't be able to endorse it. > > The 8686 firmware is also in the Debian > non-free package firmware-libertas. > > (What a perverse name!) > > These steps might be placed in the boot script of the operating system > in order to avoid nonfree infection of an operating system > distribution. > > To make it ok, it would have to be buried inside the hardware such > that the user and the system don't touch it at all. It is > possible to do that, but it might take some extra hardware. > > Is it possible to make the circuit such that the internal wireless > device can easily be removed or permanently disabled without breaking > the rest of the machine? If so, we could endorse machines modified in > this way.
Yes, it is very easily removed, and this does not break the rest of the machine. (This was impossible on the XO-1, because it was soldered down. We began using a socket with the XO-1.5, XO-1.75, and XO-4.) The internal wireless device is a daughter card in an SDIO socket, with a single screw holding it down. The laptop can be opened using our disassembly instructions [1], to the point of removing the back cover, then: - locate the daughter card using the annotated photograph [2], - unplug the two antenna cables from the card, - remove the screw on the right-hand side of the card; it may spring up by about 10 to 20 degrees, - with light finger pressure lift the card up in the socket, until about 30 degrees elevation, then pull the card away from the socket, - secure the two antenna cables so that they won't short against the motherboard; there are plastic mainframe cable guides that can help with this, along with wire ties or adhesives, - store the card in an antistatic bag. The laptop will boot without the card present. [1] http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Disassembly [2] http://wiki.laptop.org/go/File:XO1.75_B1_mobo_annotated_bot.png -- James Cameron http://quozl.linux.org.au/ _______________________________________________ Devel mailing list Devel@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel