Hector Martin

So it doesn't matter that the DDR4 controller firmware has access to all RAM and obviously can pwn the main CPU at will. As long as you bury it in read-only memory, and make sure it never is accessed by the main CPU, the FSF will give your product their meaningless rubber stamp.

You're correct, it does not. A Libre Chromebook c201 however will have proprietary firmware on the HDD/SSD (just use FDE). Also, obviously, lacks hardware freedom, which is the lowest level of a computer.

I agree that its a really difficult choice - I happen to fall on the X200 side, but I don't think there's an objectively correct answer. My real hang up is that the C201 is a Google device.

Looks like the C201 uses DDR3 RAM. DDR4 is where stuff got complicated enough to require blobs that no manufacturer wants to open. E.g. the Chromebook Pixel's main boot chain is open *except* for the DDR4 training blob. It's going to get worse in the future.

Also, I commend Google for what they did with the Pixel. Every other Tegra X1 device has an entirely blob boot process, kernels highly divergent from mainline, etc. They managed to sponsor an alternate, completely open chain (everything after the Boot ROM).

The DDR4 MTC blob is stored as a separate file in CBFS and technically is "optional" - without it the RAM runs at slow 200MHz boot timings which cripples performance, but you *can* use it.