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0 pointswaterhouse239y ago0 comments

No, Broadcom is quite unique in requiring blobs to boot. There are plenty of SoCs that are functional without firmware blobs.

Generally there are issues getting the GPU working well without firmware blobs but other aspects work fine.

Check out the Freescale part used in Bunnie's Novena laptop for example.

This is also the case for TI parts and the other manufacturers you list. Broadcom is somewhat unique in requiring a blob to even boot the system.

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3 comments · 3 top-level

christina_b9y ago

>No, Broadcom is quite unique in requiring blobs to boot.

Yes precisely, so we offer an alternative to those blobs that allows you to boot ARM without needing a closed-source firmware.

oneplane9y ago

But isn't the blob in the Pi just that, for the GPU? It's the GPU that boots and then the CPU, not the other way around. Or does the blob contain both GPU code and CPU code? And how is this different from UEFI or BIOS, or option ROMs in video cards? AFAIK you have plenty of Broadcom chips that don't need a blob to boot, those in most routers for example. Sure. there are routers with redboot, u-boot, CFE etc. but they are not much different from a BIOS firmware in a PC.

koz10009y ago

Spot on. BSP != "blob".

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