While Walter Bender's One Laptop Per Child weekly newsletters are becoming more technical as the 2B1 Children's Machine development moves along, Christopher Blizzard has taken it upon himself to give a very detailed update on the OLPC software and hardware progress. And a detailed update he delivers.

Reading through his One Laptop Update details on kernel, power management, x window, Python, encryption, Sugar, and operating systems, I've noticed interesting snippets that give a window into the evolution of the 2B1 Children's Machine hardware.

OLPC Boot Options

First is the news that the OLPC BIOS is now able to boot from two of the four initial boot option targets. Internal NAND flash and external USB media boot sequences are live, if not yet fully refined and the OLPC team will be developing systems to boot and re-install operating systems over a USB Ethernet device or from on-board USB wireless using a secure BIOS update method.

Then in an exiting development for those concerned about the string power generator output, the current developer boards only use 3 watts of electricity when in an idle state. In fact, in his testingDave Jones has only reached 6 watts and as the 2B1 OS moves to a tickless kernel, the power consumption should drop even farther.

What hasn't dropped are questions around the OLPC's Open Source Manifesto. In the comments section of Mr. Blizzard's post, Theo de Raadt inserts his own manifesto on OLPC's relationship with Marvell, its wireless Internet hardware partner. His basic argument is:

A Marvell Wireless Card

I think it is seriously hypocritical for OLPC to be heading towards Linux BIOS (goal: to not run vendor code) while at the same time they go signing NDA’s with Marvell for the wireless driver (goal: to run vendor code), and then won’t participate with other groups who want Marvell to release documentation for their wireless chips.

The code for the driver for the Marvell chip is available under the GPL and can be found in our recent kernels. (It’s not upstream yet.) We will have an agreement with Marvell that will allow for redistribution of the firmware.

Why? Because a month after I pointed out that the SD Card slot on the 2B1 isn't Open Source, OLPC were able to convince the SD Card Association to allow the first truly Open Source SD implementation, with no need to obtain an SDI license or sign NDAs to create SD drivers or applications.

Now I expect that Marvell, looking at millions of wireless card sales, will bend under the same pressure, and open up its firmware to Open Source standards. If so, score another amazing advance for the One Laptop Per Child organization.

Update: If you read the comments below, it seems that OLPC was not responsible for the SD Association's allowance of an Open Source SD implementation, it was Microsoft and HP. That's not only disappointing; it also brings into question OLPC's use of Marvell's proprietary wireless code.