"Project LibrePhone wants to remove all proprietary code from mobile devices. That code includes firmware, drivers, and the binary "blobs" that phones must have to operate. Although several projects, such as GrapheneOS, postmarketOS, and /e/OS, have removed Google-specific software from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) codebase, the devices still rely on closed components for hardware support. Kooyman said that mobile computing has long been "the last frontier of software freedom," and that it remains dominated by closed ecosystems, such as Apple's iOS and Google's Android."
"The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has unveiled a new initiative called LibrePhone, with the ambitious goal of a completely free software smartphone ecosystem. Good luck with that, because this aim is not -- in any way, shape, or form -- an easy thing to achieve. Zoë Kooyman, the FSF's executive director, acknowledged this fact, saying, "Given the complexity of the devices, this work will take time, but we're used to playing the long game.""
LibrePhone aims to create a completely free software smartphone ecosystem by removing all proprietary code, including firmware, drivers, and binary "blobs". Existing projects such as GrapheneOS, postmarketOS, and /e/OS have removed Google-specific software from AOSP but still rely on closed components for hardware support. Replicant replaced proprietary Android components with free alternatives but encountered hardware and firmware compatibility limits. Many phone functions—graphics acceleration, GPS, and modem control—depend on undocumented closed-source firmware. Mobile computing therefore remains dominated by closed ecosystems, making a fully free software smartphone a long-term and technically challenging objective.
Read at ZDNET
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