http://cobra.vernccvbvyi5qhfzyqengccj7lkove6bjot2xhh5kajhwvidqafczrad.onion/blogs/2022/06/16/free-software-only
This means that the operating system doesn't need to have any knowledge of the firmware, and the user doesn't need to install non-free firmware onto the OS. This, however, is not freedom. Modern wireless cards, such as the ones produced by Intel and Realtek, load firmware from the OS in order to save on ROM space.