Hi everyone, As mentioned in this week's leadership meeting, membership in the Open Source Firmware Foundation (OSFF) has been under consideration for some time and we feel that we should move ahead. We plan to join by the end of this month if possible.
This will be in addition to our membership with the Software Freedom Conservancy who handles donations to coreboot.org and legal services and will continue to do so. We've reviewed membership documents and so far we do not see any conflict in this arrangement.
From a community standpoint, we'd like to know if there are any objections or good reasons *not* to move ahead with membership in OSFF. Feel free to reply on the list or in private with your thoughts.
More info about OSFF can be found here: https://opensourcefirmware.foundation/
Dear David,
Thank you for the message.
Am 07.10.22 um 07:46 schrieb David Hendricks:
As mentioned in this week's leadership meeting, membership in the Open Source Firmware Foundation (OSFF) has been under consideration for some time and we feel that we should move ahead. We plan to join by the end of this month if possible.
This will be in addition to our membership with the Software Freedom Conservancy who handles donations to coreboot.org and legal services and will continue to do so. We've reviewed membership documents and so far we do not see any conflict in this arrangement.
From a community standpoint, we'd like to know if there are any objections or good reasons *not* to move ahead with membership in OSFF. Feel free to reply on the list or in private with your thoughts.
More info about OSFF can be found here: https://opensourcefirmware.foundation/
For those wanting to know about the purpose, it looks like you have to read the Web site text, and not the (legal) documents – or I didn’t find them.
The Open-Source Firmware Foundation (OSFF) is a non-profit organization with the overall goal to enhance communication between all parties involved in the open-source firmware space. The OSFF was founded in 2021 by a group of industry-leading companies in open-source firmware.
The foundation sets its goals to research and to educate corporations and individuals alike about open-source firmware through sharing intellectual resources, infrastructure, services, events and training.
The OSFF is meant to be an umbrella organization for all parties interested in open-source firmware and acts as the first point of contact in the open-source firmware ecosystem.
I have some more questions:
1. What is OSFF modeled like – like the Linux Foundation? 2. What benefits does the coreboot project hope to get from being part of OSFF? Because the goals align with the coreboot project goals? 3. As what kind of member do we want to join? 4. What entity(?) of coreboot is joining? 5. Who pays the membership fees, and how much are they? 6. I couldn’t find the goals of the OSFF stated in the documents. The bylaws say:
> The purposes of the Corporation shall be those set forth in the > Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, as may be amended > from time to time (the "Articles of Incorporation").
I only found that members mostly have to “engage in or support the production, manufacture, use, sale, or standardization of open-source firmware technologies”. 7. Who is going to represent the coreboot project in the OSFF? 8. Who is the OSFF president and secretary Christian Burghart [1]?
Kind regards,
Paul
[1]: https://opensourcefirmware.foundation/documents/Articles.pdf
Hi Paul,
- What is OSFF modeled like – like the Linux Foundation?
The slideshow linked on the opensourcefirmware.foundation homepage might answer some questions: https://opensourcefirmware.foundation/slides/Open-Source-Firmware-Foundation...
- What benefits does the coreboot project hope to get from being part
of OSFF? Because the goals align with the coreboot project goals?
Overall yes, the goals align well with those of the coreboot project. Personally I see value in creating a coherent organization representing the interest of various projects and parties in this ecosystem. For example, we've all seen many e-mail and chat threads about vendors that go nowhere. If OSFF can help bridge that gap between users/developers and vendors then it will be a huge help (that's a big "if").
- As what kind of member do we want to join?
Associate, like other open-source projects.
- What entity(?) of coreboot is joining?
The same one as with the Software Freedom Conservancy.
- Who pays the membership fees, and how much are they?
$0 for associate members.
- I couldn’t find the goals of the OSFF stated in the documents. The
bylaws say:
> The purposes of the Corporation shall be those set forth in the > Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, as may be amended > from time to time (the "Articles of Incorporation"). I only found that members mostly have to “engage in or support theproduction, manufacture, use, sale, or standardization of open-source firmware technologies”.
The slide deck on the homepage should clear things up.
- Who is going to represent the coreboot project in the OSFF?
Same as with the SFC.
- Who is the OSFF president and secretary Christian Burghart [1]?
He's the lawyer who handled the incorporation process. That's why the word "Initial" appears before those titles ;-)
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David Hendricks -
Paul Menzel