GNU Linux-libre 5.2-gnu

[Alexandre Oliva]

GNU Linux-libre 5.2-gnu sources and tarballs are now available at
<http://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/releases/5.2-gnu/>.
It didn't require any deblobbing changes since -rc7-gnu.  Binaries are
on the way.


The most relevant change in this release is Sound Open Firmware support:
I had not realized the SOF files were Free Software in recent earlier
releases, so the requests for these files were disabled in them.  Only
while cleaning up the new kernel module specifically devoted to
SOF-supporting devices did I realize my mistake.  I look forward to the
day when assuming a firmware name is a blob is no longer a safe bet.

Several new drivers required cleaning up due to blob loading: mt7615,
rtw88, rtw8822b, rtw8822c, btmtksdio, iqs5xx, ishtp, and ucsi\_ccg.
Cleaning up needed adjustments for microcode docs, ixp4xx, imx-sdma,
amdgpu, nouveau, and goya.  The r8822be driver was removed upstream, in
favor of rtw8822[bc], so its cleaning code is also gone.


I'm still undecided as to whether to backport the SOF changes to 5.1 and
to the already EOLed 5.0 series.  If there is interest, please let us
know, or, if you feel adventurous, just use the 5.2 deblob-check, and,
in deblob-5.[01], change:

  reject_firmware sound/soc/intel/common/sst-acpi.c

to

  maybe_reject_firmware sound/soc/intel/common/sst-acpi.c

and run it with --force, so that it ignores a potential complaint about
sound/soc/intel/common/soc-acpi-intel-hda-match.c not changing.  I have
not tested this myself with the earlier releases, but I wouldn't be at
all supriprised if this is all it takes.

With failure or success, please let us know how it goes.


For up-to-the-minute news, join us on #linux-libre of irc.gnu.org
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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  he/him   https://FSFLA.org/blogs/lxo
Be the change, be Free!                 FSF Latin America board member
GNU Toolchain Engineer                        Free Software Evangelist
Hay que enGNUrecerse, pero sin perder la terGNUra jamás - Che GNUevara