[zanny]

The thing is that for a new device you only need hardware enablement in the kernel - something largely one off that manufacturers can do in the same cadence as device sales so their priorities align.

What should be happening is that the FCC / international communications bodies should be directly funding a project like OpenWRT and using regulation to compel device manufacturers seeking approval by the bureau to submit their requests contingent to providing device specific hardware enablement upstream and to default-ship their devices with this common OS. Then those certification costs fund the ongoing operating system project.

If a company then wanted to implement a new feature to push their hardware, they could... by submitting it upstream.

There have been so many billions of developer hours wasted in the pursuit of profit by reinventing every single damn wheel a trillion times over its disgusting to think about and governments should be recognizing this flaw in US-IP-driven software business models and work to correct it.

[AdieuToLogic]

> What should be happening is that the FCC / international communications bodies should be directly funding a project like OpenWRT ...

The exact opposite is what actually happened. In late 2016, the FCC specifically banned owner-based firmware upgrades[0]. It was ostensibly due to RF configuration, it could also be seen as a concession to the manufacturers.

0 - https://hackaday.com/2016/02/26/fcc-locks-down-router-firmwa...