GNU Linux-libre 4.12-gnu is now available

[Alexandre Oliva]

GNU Linux-libre 4.12-gnu sources and tarballs are now available at
<http://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/releases/4.12-gnu/>.
It didn't require any deblobbing changes since -rc7-gnu.  Freesh and
Freeloong binaries are already available, and Freed-ora ones are
expected to show up over the next few days.

This release introduced deblobbing for newly-added drivers for Intel
Atom Image Signal Processing, for Realtek RTL8723BS WiFi, for the
Bluetooth HCILL and Nokia H4+ protocol implementations, and for the
preexisting Tegra GPU driver, now extended to support proprietary
firmware-requiring tegra124/vic03 and tegra210/vic04 cards.  Other
previously deblobbed drivers needed updates to the sets of source files
requiring deblobbing: amdgpu, i915 csr and nouveau GPU drivers, and
Intel Skylake sound.  Other drivers just required updates to blob names:
si2168 dvb frontend, si2157 media tuner, ath10k wifi, iwlwifi, rtl8723be
wifi, and silead touchscreen.  

In i915 csr, a URL pointing to blob-supplying pages was modified
upstream, and deblobbing was updated to reflect the change.  In iwlwifi,
a new URL, referencing a blob-supplying repository, that would be
printed in error messages upon blob-loading errors, was also
neutralized.

Deblobbing for the WiLink NFC driver is gone, since the entire driver
was removed upstream.  With that, plus the usual assortment of new false
positives all over the place, the new release got clean enough to pass
deblob-check testing, which indicates it's sanitized and recommended for
consumption by publics of all ages :-)

For up-to-the-minute news, join us on #linux-libre of irc.gnu.org
(Freenode), or follow me (@lxoliva) on Twister <http://twister.net.co/>,
GNU social at social.libreplanet.org, Diaspora* at pod.libreplanetbr.org
or pump.io at identi.ca.  Check my web page (link in the signature) for
direct links.


Be Free! with GNU Linux-libre.


What is GNU Linux-libre?
------------------------

  GNU Linux-libre is a Free version of the kernel Linux (see below),
  suitable for use with the GNU Operating System in 100% Free
  GNU/Linux-libre System Distributions.
  http://www.gnu.org/distros/

  It removes non-Free components from Linux, that are disguised as
  source code or distributed in separate files.  It also disables
  run-time requests for non-Free components, shipped separately or as
  part of Linux, and documentation pointing to them, so as to avoid
  (Free-)baiting users into the trap of non-Free Software.
  http://www.fsfla.org/anuncio/2010-11-Linux-2.6.36-libre-debait

  Linux-libre started within the gNewSense GNU/Linux distribution.
  It was later adopted by Jeff Moe, who coined its name, and in 2008
  it became a project maintained by FSF Latin America.  In 2012, it
  became part of the GNU Project.

  The GNU Linux-libre project takes a minimal-changes approach to
  cleaning up Linux, making no effort to substitute components that
  need to be removed with functionally equivalent Free ones.
  Nevertheless, we encourage and support efforts towards doing so.
  http://libreplanet.org/wiki/LinuxLibre:Devices_that_require_non-free_firmware

  Our mascot is Freedo, a light-blue penguin that has just come out
  of the shower.  Although we like penguins, GNU is a much greater
  contribution to the entire system, so its mascot deserves more
  promotion.  See our web page for their images.
  http://linux-libre.fsfla.org/

What is Linux?
--------------

  Linux is a clone of the Unix kernel [...]

(snipped from Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst)

-- 
Alexandre Oliva, freedom fighter    http://FSFLA.org/~lxoliva/
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Gandhi
Be Free! -- http://FSFLA.org/   FSF Latin America board member
Free Software Evangelist|Red Hat Brasil GNU Toolchain Engineer