Building an Open Source Motherboard

[arnuld_aqua]

I was thinking from a longer time but skills and finances have kept me from doing this. I just want to know your views:

I want to build an Open Source MOBO. We have MOBOs of different companies and also the CPUs but no one is interested in giving out the enough of the specifications of how did they built it, hence writing drivers for Linux Community remains a PITA. My first thought was building an Open Source CPU but building a CPU requires multi-million dollar expansive machines, so how about building a MOBO, whose specifications will be given out to Linux, GNU, Hackers and other Free Software Communities so that they can write software without any problem.

or how about even building an Open Source Graphics card, or even an Open Source Keyboard, the kind of hardware whose specifications will be open for anyone to read, whose design ideas and HDL programs will be open for everyone to read and suggest or even make it better.

what you people think of it ?

[Bemk]

Nice idea, how are you going to call your architecture? Open-Intel???

But kidding aside now. That's a really nice idea. If you can get some people with the knowledge to help you, you'll be able to make OCD (Open CPU Design, just an organisation name I thought of). Or if that doesn't work OMD (Open Motherboard Design). Maybe I could ask my grandfather to help you guys, he has had a course microprocessor design if I remember correctly. (Very unlikely for him to join you, but still)

[GNU-Fan]

My first thought was building an Open Source CPU but building a CPU requires multi-million dollar expansive machines,

Is building a mobo really any different in that aspect

Welcome to coreboot - coreboot
Open Graphics Project - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Open Source Processor | OpenSPARC T1 processor | OpenSPARC

[arnuld_aqua]

Nice idea, how are you going to call your architecture? Open-Intel???

No, name will be either technical jargon or in some spirit of Free Software (Hacker Ethic). BTW, its AMD who is geared more towards Open Source, came to know about Coreboot just a few moment ago. They are even providing documentation of their gfx cards to DRI people .

But kidding aside now. That's a really nice idea. If you can get some people with the knowledge to help you, you'll be able to make OCD (Open CPU Design, just an organisation name I thought of). Or if that doesn't work OMD (Open Motherboard Design). Maybe I could ask my grandfather to help you guys, he has had a course microprocessor design if I remember correctly. (Very unlikely for him to join you, but still)

Hey.. Thanks for the help and this kind of work, I have found out, is very very hard to do. By doing this I am not going to help people but going to fight like a political party fights to win the election. I will contact you if it seems feasible, at any time in my life, this is the only thing I have left to live for.