DIY portable computer
Open Hardware – Reform
© Lead Image © donatas1205, 123RF.com
An open hardware laptop that encourages hacking and repair while offering security and transparency – all for an affordable price.
A few years ago, open hardware laptops were refurbished machines. Now, new laptops that aspire to being open are becoming so common that they have their own niches, ranging from Purism's line of high-end, secure laptops [1] to Olimex's forthcoming do-it-yourself TERES-I [2]. MNT's Reform laptop falls in the middle of the spectrum, a do-it-yourself ARM laptop with an emphasis on "security, transparency, [and] hackability" [3]. Currently in beta-testing, Reform is the subject of an upcoming crowdfunding campaign [4] to make the final drive towards general manufacturing (Figure 1).
Reform's developer, Lukas F. Hartmann, prefers "an operating system with Unix-like terminals" based on his past use of AmigaOS and BeOS. In fact, the first product released by MNT, Hartmann's private company, was a graphics card for running vintage Amiga software with modern computers [5] (Figure 2). For a decade, Hartmann administered Linux and FreeBSD servers and worked on web development while personally using Mac OS. About four years ago, Hartmann decided that "the time was right to give up some comfort for more freedom and control over my computer. The more I got used to the flexibility and pragmatism of FOSS, the more backwards it seemed to deal with proprietary software."
Reform has been in development since late 2017. According to Hartmann, his goal is a machine that you can:
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel Project Releases Project Continuity Document
What happens to Linux when there's no Linus? It's a question many of us have asked over the years, and it seems it's also on the minds of the Linux kernel project.
-
Mecha Systems Introduces Linux Handheld
Mecha Systems has revealed its Mecha Comet, a new handheld computer powered by – you guessed it – Linux.
-
MX Linux 25.1 Features Dual Init System ISO
The latest release of MX Linux caters to lovers of two different init systems and even offers instructions on how to transition.
-
Photoshop on Linux?
A developer has patched Wine so that it'll run specific versions of Photoshop that depend on Adobe Creative Cloud.
-
Linux Mint 22.3 Now Available with New Tools
Linux Mint 22.3 has been released with a pair of new tools for system admins and some pretty cool new features.
-
New Linux Malware Targets Cloud-Based Linux Installations
VoidLink, a new Linux malware, should be of real concern because of its stealth and customization.
-
Say Goodbye to Middle-Mouse Paste
Both Gnome and Firefox have proposed getting rid of a long-time favorite Linux feature.
-
Manjaro 26.0 Primary Desktop Environments Default to Wayland
If you want to stick with X.Org, you'll be limited to the desktop environments you can choose.
-
Mozilla Plans to AI-ify Firefox
With a new CEO in control, Mozilla is doubling down on a strategy of trust, all the while leaning into AI.
-
Gnome Says No to AI-Generated Extensions
If you're a developer wanting to create a new Gnome extension, you'd best set aside that AI code generator, because the extension team will have none of that.