In this blog, we will explore the importance of open hardware and its connection to open source. We'll begin with a brief historical overview.
Many people believe that FOSH (Free and Open Source Hardware) and FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) are recent concepts from the past few decades. However, this is not entirely accurate.
I grew up in the seventies in Tilburg, a city in the south of the Netherlands. When my parents purchased a new TV, refrigerator, or radio, the device came with two manuals. Two manuals? Yes, but why?
One of the manuals was the standard operation manual that you are familiar with. The second manual, however, was different. It included a technical drawing and a parts list of the device. If the device broke down, you could solder out the damaged part, hop on your bike, and ride to the "Radiobeurs" to buy a new part for a few cents. At home, you could solder in the new part, and the device would work again. Was this Open Hardware or not?
As we have seen in the previous paragraphs, the world was different in the seventies. Open Hardware was the norm, and no one could have imagined that we would end up in the throwaway economy of the twenty-first century.
Throughout my entire youth, my parents used the same refrigerator, TV, and radio. However, something began to change in the mid-eighties. While electronic devices had a lifespan of a decade or more in the seventies, this started to shift. I genuinely believe that the hardware produced today is of lesser quality. Can it get any worse?
There are even companies that produce devices that are impossible to open. Sometimes, it's even worse: the user agreement states that you are not allowed to open the device you purchased yourself.
The Rise of the Open Source Movement (1980s - 1990s)
Open Source Software (OSS):
- The 1980s saw the formalization of the open source movement with the founding of the Free Software Foundation (FSF) by Richard Stallman in 1985. Stallman’s GNU Project aimed to create a free and open operating system.
- The 1990s marked a significant milestone with the release of the Linux kernel by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Linux became a symbol of the power of collaborative, open source development.
Open Hardware:
- The open hardware movement began to gain traction in the 1990s, inspired by the principles of open source software. Projects like the Open Graphics Project and the Open Hardware Certification Program emerged, promoting the sharing of hardware designs.
- The establishment of the Open Hardware Summit in 2010 further solidified the movement, providing a platform for advocates and practitioners to share ideas and collaborate.
The Modern Era (2000s - Present)
Open Source Software (OSS):
- The 2000s witnessed the widespread adoption of open source software in both personal and enterprise environments. Projects like Apache, Mozilla Firefox, and Android demonstrated the viability and benefits of open source development.
- The rise of platforms like GitHub facilitated global collaboration, making it easier for developers to contribute to open source projects.
Open Hardware:
- The open hardware movement has seen significant growth in the 21st century, driven by the maker movement and the proliferation of affordable manufacturing technologies like 3D printing.
- Notable projects include Arduino, an open-source electronics platform, and Raspberry Pi, a low-cost, open-source computer. These projects have democratized access to technology, enabling hobbyists, educators, and professionals to create and innovate.
- The Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) was founded in 2012 to promote and protect open hardware, providing a formal definition and certification process for open hardware projects.
The Intersection of Open Hardware and Open Source Software
The relationship between open hardware and open source software is symbiotic. Open hardware benefits from the collaborative development models pioneered by the open source software community. Conversely, open hardware projects often rely on open source software to function, creating a seamless ecosystem of open technologies.
- Collaboration and Community: Both movements emphasize the importance of community and collaboration. Open source software communities have provided a blueprint for how open hardware projects can thrive through shared knowledge and collective effort.
- Innovation and Accessibility: The open hardware movement has made technology more accessible, enabling a broader range of people to participate in technological innovation. This aligns with the open source software ethos of democratizing access to technology.
- Educational Impact: Both open hardware and open source software have had a profound impact on education. They provide valuable resources for learning and experimentation, fostering a new generation of innovators and problem-solvers.
We believe it is our fundamental right to have access to the blueprints of the devices we purchase with our hard-earned money. We should have the right to open the devices we buy, study how they operate, make modifications, and even resell them.
However, some hardware companies seem to think that we should be grateful just to be allowed to touch their devices.
If we consider the combination of hardware and software, we see that it is often very difficult to build a device that is entirely Free and Open Source Hardware (FOSH) and Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). For example, take my Linux Ubuntu 24.04 laptop: while the operating system is fully open source, the hardware is not. There are multiple chipsets on the board for which I have no blueprints or understanding of how they function. Even the software is not entirely open source.
Yes, Linux is open source, but on the hardware layer, it has to use the UEFI BIOS provided by the Taiwanese manufacturer Clevo. Additionally, the Nvidia 2080 video card has its own proprietary BIOS.
There is still much to fight for.
A promising development is RISC-V. The Reduced Instruction Set Computing V platform is fully open source and open hardware, and the first motherboards are now available for purchase. It is even possible to buy a RISC-V laptop. Together with our colleagues from the UBports community, we hope to build an Ubuntu Touch RISC-V phablet with Lomiri by 2026. We believe this development could contribute to a future where all hardware and software are open again.