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[mirror] blog and personal website of Drew DeVault git clone https://hacktivis.me/git/mirror/drewdevault.com.git
commit: 10129f957dd1b8d947957b76774401eae41cff85
parent 2f69fcdbdca6ae44cc4c8f10d520cc7a19bf78a0
Author: Drew DeVault <sir@cmpwn.com>
Date:   Thu, 18 Aug 2022 15:22:51 +0200

RIP PINE64

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Acontent/blog/PINE64-let-us-down.md108+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 108 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)

diff --git a/content/blog/PINE64-let-us-down.md b/content/blog/PINE64-let-us-down.md @@ -0,0 +1,108 @@ +--- +title: PINE64 has let its community down +date: 2022-08-18 +--- + +Context for this post: + +- [Pine64 should re-evaluate their community priorities](https://drewdevault.com/2022/01/18/Pine64s-weird-priorities.html) +- [The Pine Formula](https://tuxphones.com/pine-formula/) +- [Why I left PINE64](https://blog.brixit.nl/why-i-left-pine64/) +- [A response to Martijn’s blog](https://www.pine64.org/2022/08/18/a-response-to-martijns-blog/) + +--- + +I know that apologising and taking responsibility for your mistakes is +difficult. It seems especially difficult for commercial endeavours, which have +fostered a culture of cold disassociation from responsibility for their actions, +where admitting to wrongdoing is absolutely off the table. I disagree with this +culture, but I understand where it comes from, and I can empathise with those +who find themselves in the position of having to reconsider their actions in the +light of the harm they have done. It's not easy. + +But, the reckoning must come. I have been a long-time supporter of PINE64. On +this blog I have written positively about the [PinePhone][0] and [PineBook +Pro][1].[^1] I believed that PINE64 was doing the right thing and was offering +something truly revolutionary on the path towards getting real FOSS systems into +phones. I use a PinePhone as my daily driver,[^2] and I also own a PineBook Pro, +two RockPro64s, a PinePhone Pro, and a PineNote as well. All of these devices +have issues, some of them crippling, but PINE64's community model convinced me +to buy these with confidence in the knowledge that they would be able to work +with the community to address these flaws given time. + +[0]: https://drewdevault.com/2019/12/18/PinePhone-review.html +[1]: https://drewdevault.com/2021/05/14/Pinebook-Pro-review.html + +[^1]: The latter post, dated in May 2021, also mentions the u-Boot SPI issue + that PINE64's push-back on ultimately led Martijn to quit the PINE64 + community. PINE64's justification is "based on the fact that for years + SPI was largely unused on PINE64 devices", but people have been arguing that + SPI *should* be used for years, too. + +[^2]: Though it has and has always had serious issues that would prevent me from + recommending it to others. It still needs work. + +However, PINE64's treatment of its community has been in a steady decline for +the past year or two, culminating in postmarketOS developer Martijn Braam's +[blog post][3] outlining a stressful and frustrating community to participate +in, a lack of respect from PINE64 towards this community, and a model moving +from a diverse culture that builds working software together to a Manjaro +mono-culture that doesn't. PINE64 offered a [disappointing response][2]. In +their blog post, they dismiss the problems Martijn brings up, paint his post as +misguided at best and disingenuous at worst, and fail to take responsibility for +their role in any of these problems. + +[2]: https://www.pine64.org/2022/08/18/a-response-to-martijns-blog/ +[3]: https://blog.brixit.nl/why-i-left-pine64/ + +The future of PINE64's Manjaro mono-culture is dim. Manjaro is a very poorly +run Linux distribution with a history of financial mismanagement, ethical +violations, security incidents, shipping broken software, and disregarding the +input of its peers in the distribution community. Just this morning they allowed +their SSL certificates to expire &mdash; for the fourth time. An [open +letter](http://do-not-ship.it/), signed jointly by 16 members of the Linux +mobile community, called out bad behaviors which are largely attributable to +Manjaro. I do not respect their privileged position in the PINE64 community, +which I do not expect to be constructive or in my best interests. I have never +been interested in running Manjaro on a PINE64 device and once they turn their +back on the lush ecosystem they promised, I no longer have any interest in the +platform. + +It's time for PINE64 to take responsibility for these mistakes, and make clear +plans to correct them. To be specific: + +- Apologise for mistreatment of community members. +- Make a tangible commitment to honoring and respecting the community. +- Rescind their singular commitment to Manjaro. +- Re-instate community editions and expand the program. +- Deal with this stupid SPI problem. The community is right, listen to them. + +I understand that it's difficult to acknowledge our mistakes. But it is also +necessary, and important for the future of PINE64 and the future of mobile Linux +in general. I call on TL Lim, Marek Kraus, and Lukasz Erecinski to personally +answer for these problems. + +There are three possible outcomes to this controversy, depending on PINE64's +response. If PINE64 refuses to change course, the community will continue to +decay and fail &mdash; the community PINE64 depends on to make its devices +functional and useful. Even the most mature PINE64 products still need a lot of +work, and none of the new products are even remotely usable. This course of +events will be the end of PINE64 and deal a terrible blow to the mobile FOSS +movement. + +The other option for PINE64 to change its behavior. They do this with grace, or +without. If they crumble under public pressure and, for example, spitefully +agree to re-instate community editions without accepting responsibility for +their wrongdoings, it does not bode well for addressing the toxic environment +which is festering in the PINE64 community. This may be better than the worst +case, but may not be enough. New community members may hesitate to join, +maligned members may not offer their forgiveness, and PINE64's reputation will +suffer for a long time. + +The last option is for PINE64 to act with grace and humility. Acknowledge your +mistakes and apologise to those who have been hurt. Re-commit to honoring your +community and treating your peers with respect. Remember, the community are +volunteers. They have no obligation to make peace, so it's on you to mend these +wounds. It will still be difficult to move forward, but doing it with humility, +hand in hand with the community, will set PINE64 up with the best chance of +success. We're counting on you to do the right thing.