Latin American Foundation with a small delay Posted Fully free version of Linux kernel 5.16 – Linux-Libre 5.16-GNU , peeled from the elements of firmware and drivers containing non-free components or sections Code, the scope of which is limited by the manufacturer. In addition, Linux-Libre disconnects the core functions for the loading of non-free components that are not included in the nucleus supply, and deletes the reference to the use of non-free components from the documentation.
To clean the kernel from non-free parts, in the framework of the Linux-Libre project Created Universal Shell script, which contains thousands of templates to determine the presence of binary inserts and exceptions of false positives. Ready patches created based on the use of the aforementioned script are also available for download. The Linux-Libre kernel is recommended for use in distributions corresponding to Criteria SPO Foundation for the construction of completely free Distributions GNU / Linux. For example, the Linux-Libre kernel is used in distributions such as Dragora Linux, Trisquel, Dyne: Bolic, Gnewsense, Parabola, Musix and Kongoni.
In the release of Linux-Libre 5.16-GNU, the loading of blobs in new drivers for wireless chips is disabled (MT7921S and RTW89 / 8852A), touch screens (ILI210X), audio chips (QDSP6) and DSP i.MX, as well as in Devicetree files for AARCH64 Qualcomm chips. In addition to the “firmware_request_builtin” system call proposed in the kernel in Linux-Libre, the inverse function “firmware_reject_builtin” is preplicated. In the code cleansing scripts, the functions are unified for disconnecting Request_firmware and options _NOWARN / _BUILTIN.