Re:Open specification, closed source... (Score 1)

I don't think it is nitpicking. The article is playing a shell game here, saying that you have standard hardware components and then expecting the whole software system should be totally open.

It would be correct if you were to look at the software APIs. Things like OpenGL, X-Windows, NFS, RPC, POSIX Threads, etc. are the standard software components that make up the system.

When you buy an SCSI disk, you don't get any details of what the internal design of the disk is. If there is an embedded processor on it, you may get a firmware file but I've never seen anyone distribute the source which would allow you to recreate that firmware.

How many people have the source for the firmware inside their printers?

There is a big difference between proprietary operating systems that continually invent their own interfaces and operating systems that support open standards.